download correct version of 22 Things You Didn't Know Your Chromecast Could Do. While 's ultraportable media-streaming device is pretty much plug and play, there are a few tips and tricks that can make casting more magical. Google helps simplify your online life—from email and online storage to news and digital maps. But it can also take over your TV with Chromecast. The Chromecast Ultra will set you back A$105.99. You can pick one up online here. Part of the Chromecast's appeal lies in its portability and ease of use; just plug in, connect to Wi-Fi, and you'll be streaming , Spotify, HBO, , and more from your mobile device or PC to the TV in no time. Not to mention apps for music, working out, and catching up on sports. If you're still holding onto the first-generation Chromecast, you won't be able to take advantage of any new features going forward since Google will no longer be updating the firmware for that model, so now's a good time to upgrade and get a refresher on what this gadget can do. While the ultraportable device is pretty much plug and play, there are a few tips and tricks that can make casting more magical. Check them out below. Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast. The Chromecast is a handy gadget for streaming Netflix, YouTube, and other content from mobile devices to your TV, but it requires a strong Wi- Fi connection to deliver streams that don't buffer. Not everyone has a super-fast Wi-Fi network, though, and for those people, you can use an ethernet adapter. Google has discontinued its one, but third party ones like this UGreen one work fine. The adapter looks like the existing Chromecast power cord, but the plug end now includes a small Ethernet port. Connect an Ethernet cable that's also connected to your modem to that port, plug the USB end of the adapter into the Chromecast, attach the Chromecast to the HDMI port on your TV, and you're ready to go. Chromecast Guest Mode. Do Not Track. Share Your VR Headset View to the TV. Watching someone experience is amusing. for a few minutes. When you can also see what the person wearing the goggles sees, though, it's better for everyone. With Google's Daydream View headset and a Chromecast, you can send what's on the headset to a television. Just make sure the phone you have in the Daydream and the Chromecast are on the same Wi-Fi network and that you have the Google Home app (Android, iOS) installed. Open Google Home, select Cast, and then choose the Chromecast device to which you want to send the VR images. Put the phone into the headset and everyone can see what you're up to, virtually. If you have a Gear VR, you can do the same thing. Make sure you have the latest version of the app and get your Gear going, hit the Cast button, and select the device on which you want to view your VR journey. Cast to Your TV. Add Photos to the Chromecast Background. Use your own photos—or choose from Google's selection of beautiful art, landscape photography, and satellite images—to switch up your Chromecast background with Ambient Mode. In the Google Home app, tap the icon for your Chromecast. Select Device Settings and scroll down to Ambient Mode. Tap that and you'll be able to scroll through choices that let you add images from Google or your own images from , Facebook, and Flickr. You can also add the weather and time to the display. Cast Google Photos to the TV. Cast Music to Your TV. To play music through your TV with Chromecast, download (Android or iOS). Open the app, select the cast icon, choose Chromecast from the device list, and select what you want to play. For more than your own music, join Google Play Music for $9.99 a month or $14.99 for a family plan, which also includes free streaming radio and YouTube Premium. Cast Spotify Premium to Your TV. Cast Plex to Chromecast. Acting Remote. You've probably used your phone as a remote for your cable or Chromecast, but you might not know that you can use it to bypass the process of having to change the input to cast if your TV supports HDMI-CEC. Google the model of your TV and the trade name for HDMI-CEC that matches the brand: Samsung - Anynet+ Sony - BRAVIA Link or BRAVIA Sync Sharp - Aquos Link Hitachi - HDMI-CEC AOC - E-link Pioneer - Kuro Link Toshiba - Regza Link or CE-Link Onkyo - RIHD (Remote Interactive over HDMI) LG - SimpLink Panasonic - VIERA Link or HDAVI Control or EZ-Sync Philips - EasyLink Mitsubishi - NetCommand for HDMI Runco International – RuncoLink. If you have it, then use the TV remote and go to Settings and select the HDMI-CEC option and enable it. Now when you cast to your TV, you don't have to change the input. You can start casting to your Chromecast from another device and the Chromecast will send a signal to the TV, forcing the TV to switch to the Chromecast. The TV remote control will now also work to pause, play, and stop whatever you're watching on the Chromecast. Use Chromecast in a Hotel. Play Games on Chromecast. It's not a PS4, but the Chromecast can be used to play some fun family games. Get your groove on with Just Dance Now or serve up some nostalgia with NES emulator CastNES. Or play Pictionary on the big screen by downloading Doodlecast to an Android device and then just casting the screen. Download games to your Android or iOS device to use your phone or tablet as a controller, while the game runs on your TV. How To Jailbreak the Chromecast. At one point, the best way to jailbreak your Google Chromecast was to use the Terrarium TV app. Terrarium TV was arguably the number one free video streaming app that was available for use at the time. Sadly, this is no longer the case as Terrarium TV was recently shut down due to legal reasons. However, there’s no need to worry too much as there are other viable alternatives for VOD streaming. The ones I’ll be talking about in this article are considered two of the better ones – Kodi and CRowns Lite (or CRowns VOD Pro). “Jailbreaking? I don’t want to get into any trouble.” What is meant by “jailbreak” for the Google Chromecast, is actually just using the device (app) to watch pirated content. It’s not necessarily the same as jailbreaking an iPhone to be able to run any you wish. Technically jailbreaking in both situations is considered perfectly legal so you need not worry regardless. Jailbreaking Google Chromecast. Google Chromecast is an easy-to-use streaming device that connects to the HDMI port of your TV. It allows you to watch all of your favorite shows and movies from services such as Hulu, Netflix, and Crackle. The Chromecast comes in two variants – the basic version and the Ultra, the latter of which supports 4K and comes with a built-in ethernet adapter. Unlike other streaming devices, Chromecast does not have its own on-screen interface and instead relies on the use of your mobile device or browser to “cast” content. The content you cast also comes with the stipulation of having an account, paid or otherwise, in order to watch the programming offered. Chromecast doesn’t provide the content for you. For those who would rather circumvent the payment part, that is where the jailbreaking comes into play. Kodi and CRowns Lite. Since the fall of Terrarium TV, most Chromecast users have chosen to jailbreak their device using the Kodi media player application. Kodi is a free, entertainment hub that brings together your entire digital media collection into one easy-to-use application. It provides access to additional video content through compatible third-party add-ons like Kodi TV. Unfortunately, Kodi cannot be installed directly to your Google Chromecast device. The best you’ll be able to do is cast the content from your computer, , or tablet to your TV. This shouldn’t be an issue but it’s good to get the information out ahead of time. CRowns Lite, also known as CRowns VOD Pro, is a similar application to Kodi. It too houses your digital media collection and allows you to play them on multiple devices. The one major difference between them is that CRowns Lite tends to have larger selection of higher quality videos in comparison to Kodi. It weeds through the bulk of the videos out there and consolidates only the versions of them that it considers the best for streaming. Both applications are considered third-party applications and must be sideloaded onto your Android device. This means that you’ll need to switch on the Unknown Sources option. To enable this option: Open the Settings app on your Android device. Locate your security option. This could be something like “Security” or “Lock & Security”. Toggle the switch on (or tap on the empty box) located next to “Unknown Sources”. From the prompt, tap Yes (or Allow ) to confirm your decision. You can now download and install the corresponding APK for either the version of Kodi or CRowns VOD Pro to your Android device. Kodi has a downloadable Windows version but in order to enjoy CRowns Lite from your PC or laptop, you’ll have to download and install an Android emulator. More on this a bit later. In order to begin the jailbreaking process, you’ll need to ensure that both your Chromecast and casting device is connected to the same WiFi. Download the corresponding to your chosen casting device’s . It would be better if all of the Kodi add-ons you’d like to use with Chromecast have also been installed prior to the procedure. Casting Kodi or CRowns Lite From An Android Device. If you’re using an Android device, you’ll need to have Google Home app installed on it. The Google Home app is necessary to control your Google Home and Chromecast devices. The following steps will walk you through how to cast Kodi or CRowns Lite content from your Android device to Google Chromecast. Keep in mind that the Android device’s battery will be drained rather quickly over extended use. It will be best to have the device connected to a power source if available during casting. To begin casting Kodi or CRowns Lite content from an Android device: From the device, launch the Google Home app. In the upper left-hand corner of the screen, tap on the Main Menu icon (three horizontal lines stacked vertically.) Select Cast screen/audio from the drop-down menu. This will pull up a new screen. The screen will describe the mirroring capabilities of the Google Home app. Press the blue Cast Screen/Audio button to pull up a list of devices. Choose your Chromecast device from the list of available options. All of the contents currently visible on your Android device should now be displayed on your TV. If you’re receiving constant and immediate disconnects from screencasting, you may need to enable microphone permissions on your device. To enable microphone permissions, head to your device’s Settings > Apps & notifications. From here scroll until you find . Tap on it and then select the “Permissions” option. Underneath the “Apps” section, locate Microphone and toggle the switch from off to on. Locate and launch your preferred media-streaming app from your Android device. Both applications open up to fullscreen automatically, so unless you need to adjust any settings, you should now be able to enjoy your digital collection. For Kodi, select the desired add-on and launch it to begin playing the expected content. If you’d like to end Google Home casting, perform steps 1-3 again in the exact order above. Once the Cast/Screen window is pulled up, tab the button labeled Disconnect . Casting Kodi From a PC or Laptop. For those who prefer to use a computer, you’ll need the latest version of the Google Chrome browser to cast any content. Follow the steps provided to cast Kodi content from your computer’s Google Chrome web browser directly to your TV using Chromecast. What you’ll need to do is: Launch the Google Chrome web browser from your computer. Open the Chrome menu by clicking on the three vertical dots located toward the top-right corner of the window. Select Cast… from the drop-down menu that appears. You’ll receive a welcome pop-up message for participating in the Chromecast experience, at the bottom of which you’ll find the name of your Google Chromecast device. If the name of your device is not displayed, it’s likely that the Chromecast device and your computer are not connected to the same WiFi network. Ensure that you correct this before you proceed. Above the name of the Chromecast device, click Cast to . From the drop-down menu select Cast desktop . Click on the name of your Chromecast Device to pull up a new window labeled “Share your screen”. Ensure that there is a check mark next to the Share audio option before clicking on the Share button. After clicking the Share button, your desktop will appear on the Chromecast-connected TV. Now you can launch the Kodi application to have its content displayed on your TV and controlled via your computer. To end casting, click on the Stop button the “Chrome Mirroring: Capturing Desktop” section. CRowns Lite and The Emulator. CRowns Lite was specifically designed for the Android platform. As of yet, the developers have not seen fit to release a stable desktop version for either Windows or Mac operating systems. In order to run the app on one of those platforms, you’ll need to download and install an Android Emulator. An Android Emulator is a software program that replicates the Android platform on your PC or Mac. It will run exactly as a computer app but enable access to the Android ecosystem. Only with this piece of technology will you be able to install the CRowns Lite APK onto your desktop and cast video to your TV using Chromecast. The CRowns Lite developers recommend using the Nox App Player as their Android Emulator of choice, claiming it to be one of the faster or reliable emulators available. You can download it for either Windows or Mac from bignox.com . After acquiring the emulator, you can download the CRowns Lite APK for it just as you’d do for an Android device. Now you’ll just need to install it onto the Nox Player App. The process to install CRowns Lite onto the Nox App Player is the same, just be sure to select the correct version of the APK for your operating system. To install the CRowns Lite APK file onto the Nox App Player: Launch the Nox Player App and follow the onscreen instructions to set everything up as needed. Make sure that you sign into Nox with a Google ID prior to installing CRowns Lite. Locate the Tea TV APK file from the folder in which it was downloaded to, then drag and drop the file into the Nox App Player. The APK will begin to install. You may be prompted to click Install before it begins. It could take many minutes to install the APK depending on processing speed. Once CRowns Lite has been installed onto Nox, you can find the app from the Nox Home Screen . Click the app to Launch CRowns Lite from your PC or Mac. From here, we can now set up Google Home as well onto your Nox App Player. You can use the search function to find Google Home directly on the Nox App Player or, you can head over to this trusted site and download it there. Once the Google Home app is installed onto the Nox App Player, you can launch it from the home screen and follow the instructions laid out in the Casting Kodi or CRowns Lite From An Android Device walkthrough above. Which Chromecast Should I Buy (and Should I Upgrade My Old One)? Jason Fitzpatrick is the Editor in Chief of LifeSavvy, How-To Geek's sister site focused life hacks, tips, and tricks. He has over a decade of experience in publishing and has authored thousands of articles at Review Geek, How-To Geek, and Lifehacker. Jason served as Lifehacker's Weekend Editor before he joined How-To Geek. Read more. The Chromecast has been out long enough to have several generations of hardware. But what’s the difference between them, and should you upgrade to the newer versions? Originally released in 2013, the original $35 Chromecast flew off the shelves thanks to its ease of use, excellent app support, and the dead simple way it allowed people to sling YouTube, Netflix, and other popular video sources to their HDTV. We loved the Chromecast then and we still love it now. In 2015, Google released an updated version of the Chromecast as well as the Chromecast Audio (an equally easy to use tool that turns your dumb speakers smart). Then, a year after that in 2016, Google released the Chromecast Ultra, which isn’t a third generation Chromecast but a whole new Chromecast line altogether that costs $69 instead of $35. With all those versions and the amount of years between releases, you may be wondering if you should upgrade your first generation Chromecast. Or, if you’re a first time buyer, you may wonder if it’s worth buying the Ultra over the second generation Chromecast. Let’s take a look at the specs and features of each device and then highlight when, specifically, it’s worth choosing the newer models. The Difference Between the First Gen, Second Gen, and Ultra. Rather than dive into the minute details between the models (like the trivially important differences between which System-On-a-Chip processors the different models use), let’s focus on the practical features that actually change your user experience. From left: the first generation, second generation, and Ultra. All three Chromecast models can play 1080p content, and all three support HDMI CEC (which means you can easily control things like Netflix playback on your regular TV remote if your TV supports it). All three use the exact same protocol, and can access the exact same apps. In addition, all three are powered by a Micro USB adapter. However, the USB adapter that comes with the Chromecast Ultra supports Ethernet connectivity. You can purchase the same upgraded power-plus-networking adapter for the first and second generation , but it will cost you $15. Speaking of networking, that’s one of the biggest differences between the two generations: the second generation Chromecast and the Chromecast Ultra both support Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. The original Chromecast, however, does not support Wireless AC, and only broadcasts on the 2.4GHz band. Finally, the Ultra is the only Chromecast that supports 4K and HDR video playback. One thing you’ll note that we didn’t emphasize at all was the difference in raw hardware specs. In our experience, the speed difference between the different Chromecast releases is small to non-existent. Whether it takes 2 seconds or 1.5 seconds to load up a stream from Netflix is truly irrelevant when you’re sitting down to watch a TV show or movie for the next hour or two. With those feature differences in mind, let’s look at whether or not it’s worth upgrading your Chromecast or buying up in the product line. When You Should (and Should Not) Upgrade. There are a few clear cut situations where you should consider upgrading your Chromecast. If any of the following statements apply to you, you’re a candidate for a bigger better model. I want to use Wi-Fi but the 2.4GHz coverage where my TV is located is bad. If you want to use your Chromecast in a location where the 2.4GHz band is congested and you want to keep the Chromecast wireless, then it’s worth upgrading to a model, like the second generation and Ultra, that supports 5GHz Wi-Fi. Not sure if that’s your issue? Read more about the difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz here, as well as how to troubleshoot Chromecast-specific issues. I have, or plan to purchase in the near future, a 4K-capable television. While the vast majority of content is still 1080p, if you have a 4K television and you want to get in on some of the early better-than-1080 content (like some of Netflix’s 4K shows), you’ll need a Chromecast Ultra. Even if you don’t have a 4K HDTV at the moment, if you’re seriously considering getting one, it’s still reasonable to purchase the $70 Chromecast Ultra over the $35 second-gen Chromecast, as you’ll likely upgrade the regular Chromecast in short order. Barring those two situations, there’s no reason to trade out your first generation Chromecast for a second generation Chromecast, or upgrade from the second generation to the Ultra–both the first-gen and second-gen Chromecasts still have plenty of life in them for the millions of people who haven’t made the jump to 4K TV. How to Netflix Chromecast: watching Netflix on Google's streaming dongle. How to Netflix Chromecast: what do you need to do to watch Netflix on the Google Chromecast? If you don’t have a smart TV, the Google Chromecast is a fantastic budget-friendly way to watch content from your favorite streaming platforms on the big screen, without the hassle of cables. This puck-shaped streaming dongle plugs right into the HDMI port at the back of your TV, with everything controlled via the apps on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. One of the best Chromecast apps is Netflix, with its enormous range of original and syndicated TV shows and movies to get stuck into. With the Google Chromecast, you don’t have to worry about hooking up your laptop to your TV or login to your Netflix account with an irritating TV screen keyboard every time you want to catch up on the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Politician, or otherwise. We’ve put together this handy guide with everything you need to know about watching Netflix with your Chromecast, so you can start streaming with minimal fuss. How to Netflix Chromecast: which devices can you use? The Netflix app is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models that run iOS 7.0 or later, and can be downloaded for free from the App Store. If you’re an Android user, you’ll need a smartphone or tablet with Android 4.1 or later, and you can download it from the Google Play store. You can also run Netflix in the Chrome web browser on Windows, Mac, or laptop and cast it to your TV using the Chromecast. You will need to buy a subscription to Netflix if you don’t have one already. Before you set up Netflix on your Chromecast, make sure your Netflix app is up to date; Android devices need to have the app version 2.4 or higher, while iOS devices must be running the app version 4.2 or higher. How to Netflix Chromecast: what resolution can you watch in? If you have a Google Chromecast, you’ll be able to stream Netflix in 1080p, but you’ll need a Chromecast Ultra if you want to stream in 4K. Streaming in 4K also requires a Premium subscription to Netflix, which costs £11.99 / $15.99 / AU$17.99 per month. If you’re not bothered about 4K streaming, you can get the standard package, which delivers the Full HD, 1080p streams for £8.99 / $12.99 / AU$13.99 per month, or the Basic package, which is only £5.99 / $8.99 / AU$9.99 per month, but doesn’t let you stream in HD. is for you? How to set up Netflix on Chromecast. Firstly, you need to make sure your Chromecast device is connected to your TV and your Wi-Fi network. If you’re not sure how to do this, check out our article on how to use Chromecast and set it up on your devices , which walks you through the process. Once that’s done, open the Netflix app on your iOS or Android device, or alternatively, head to the Netflix website in your laptop’s Google Chrome browser. You should see a Cast icon in the upper right or lower right side of your screen (it looks like a little TV screen with a Wi-Fi bar in the bottom left corner) – click on this, and a list of available device will appear. Select your Chromecast from the list of devices, and the Netflix app will launch on your TV. Now you should be able to play any TV show or movie in the app and it will appear on your TV. How to Netflix Chromecast: troubleshooting. If you’re having trouble setting up Netflix with your Chromecast, make sure that the Chromecast’s name doesn’t contain any special characters (for example, emojis or apostrophes), as this prevents the Netflix app from identifying it. You can change your Chromecast’s name by launching the Chromecast app on your device and selecting the name. If that doesn’t solve the problem, it’s worth checking that you’re running the correct version of the Netflix app, as well as the most recent version of the Chrome browser or operating system on your mobile device. If you don’t see the Cast icon when you open the Netflix app, Netflix has released a number of troubleshooting steps you can follow to resolve the issue. Chromecast firmware versions. Here are the latest firmware versions and release notes for Chromecast devices. Release notes. Chromecast with Google TV Build Number: 210311.005 Security Update: April 5, 2021 Published: April 20th, 2021. This software update includes: Advanced Video Controls setting for granular HDR formats, resolution/refresh rate, and color formats Advanced Video Controls can be adjusted via Settings Display & Sound . Previous release notes. Chromecast with Google TV Build Number: 200918.033 Security Update: December 5, 2020 Published: February 8th, 2021. This software update includes: Improved 4K support for TVs and AVRs Dolby Audio improvements for Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital Plus passthrough content improvements and fixes Reduced the occurrence of users seeing the Android recovery screen Improved instructions when the Android recovery screen is shown. Current Preview Program firmware version. Chromecast (1st gen) — Firmware version 1.36.159268​ Chromecast (2nd gen) — Firmware version 1.49.250946. Chromecast — Firmware version 1.49.250946. Chromecast Ultra — Firmware version 1.50.250947. Chromecast Audio — Firmware version 1.42.172094. Want to test drive the latest firmware version before it's released broadly? Join the Chromecast Preview Program.