How to use Chromecast

How to use Chromecast on PC and laptop

Streaming TV shows and music from your smartphone or tablet is great – and what the Chromecast is designed for – but you can also use the Chromecast’s to stream stuff from your PC or laptop as well.

For services like Netflix and Spotify, the process is the same as on your phone or tablet: Just look for the magic Google Cast logo (it’s usually displayed within the video player embedded in the web page) and click it when you see it.

Even when there’s no Cast compatibility within the video player, though, you can still use your Chromecast to stream content, and there are several ways of doing this. The easiest way is to stream a tab from the Chrome internet browser. The tab might contain video, audio, pictures – you could even use it to mirror a presentation in an emergency. Anything on the internet, in other words.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Fire up your Chrome browser and install the Google Cast extension from the Chrome Web Store
   

2. Click the Google Cast icon to the right of the address bar and select your Chromecast from the list. The tab should now appear on the TV.
   

3. You can cast from another tab at any time by clicking the Cast extension and selecting “Cast this tab”, and finish by selecting “Stop casting”.

   

4. It’s even possible to stream a video file stored on your PC or laptop, simply by dragging the file onto a Chrome tab and clicking the full-screen button on the video player to fill the screen of your TV.