Who wouldn’t want a larger screen for our everyday digital needs? Everybody is gearing into doing more with their computer monitors but did you know that you can also utilize your television screens by using Google Chromecast? It is a great help to boost your work productivity and a satisfying way to increase your entertainment experience.

Using Chromecast is actually easy. All you need to do is first, set up your Chromecast to your TV. Then open your Google Chrome on your Windows desktop. Click the three-dot menu, then select Cast. Next, click “Sources”, then “Cast desktop”. Now, you may enjoy the huge screen that you’ve got.

It is really exciting to Chromecast your Windows desktop to your TV, but the process might be quite confusing. The “setting up” part of your Chromecast actually needs detailed instructions to be followed. Besides, there are different types of Chromecasting that might be more or less suitable for you, depending on the task that you will do. The good news is, this article will walk you through all the steps and possible problems that you may encounter.

3 Easy Steps To Chromecast Your Windows Desktop To TV

There are actually only 3 steps to follow in setting up your Google Chromecast and successfully using it. After following these 3 steps, you will not be squinting your eyes anymore through the tons of data you are analyzing for your work on your small desktop screen. You would also enjoy your day off more as watching movies could now turn into a theatrical experience with the big screen. Read-on to familiarize yourself with the Chromecasting steps:

Setting Up Google Chromecast

The first step in using your Google Chromecast is to set it up. It will consist of setting it up physically and setting it up digitally. Now, to set it up physically, follow the steps below:

1. Connect the HDMI cable from your Chromecast to the TV.
2. Connect the USB to micro USB to both the Chromecast and to your TV. This will serve as the power source of your Chromecast.
3. Open your TV and set the input to the HDMI port where you connected your Chromecast.

After this, your TV should prompt a screen that notifies you to download Google Home. You have to download it on your Windows desktop.

Side note: Your Chromecast also includes a power adapter so that you will have the option to choose where to get its power source. You may get the power from your TV via USB cable or you can direct it to the power outlet via a power adapter.

After setting up your Chromecast physically, we shall head to casting your Windows desktop.

Chromecasting your Windows Desktop

Now, this is the part where you will be able to cast your desktop to your TV. And surprisingly, there are 4 types of Chromecasting techniques that you need to know that might benefit you in the future. Just before you start, make sure that both your Windows desktop and Chromecast are connected to the same WiFi network.

Casting Google Chrome

One of the reasons why you would want to Chromecast your Windows desktop is to use it for browsing. It is much easier to read with larger fonts after all. To Chromecast your Google Chrome, follow the steps below:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Find and click the three-dot menu.
3. Click Cast.
4. Choose the Chromecast device where you want to cast your Google Chrome.

Casting Windows Desktop Screen

If you will be doing a step by step guide presentation or just want to Chromecast a different program other than Google Chrome, what you want is to cast your whole screen instead of just the internet browser. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Find and click the three-dot menu.
3. Click Cast.
4. A tab will appear showing all the devices available to pair with. Click the “Sources” then choose “Cast Desktop”.
5. Then choose the device where you want to cast your desktop.

Casting A File 

Casting a file means that there is a specific file that you want to cast. You may be on work and you want to ensure that nothing more would be seen aside from those tons of data from your MS Excel or MS Word. If this is the case, then follow the rundown of the steps below:

1. From your Windows desktop, open Google Chrome.
2. Find and click the three-dot menu.
3. Click Cast.
4. A tab will appear showing all the devices available to pair with. Click the “Sources” then choose “Cast file”.
5. Choose the file that you want to be mirrored to your TV.
6. Then choose the device where you want to cast your desktop.

In-app Chromecasting

If you think that you can only Chromecast through your Google Chrome, then you would be surprised that Google has tons of partner apps and software where you can Chromecast inside the apps itself. To do the in-app Chromecasting, you may follow the steps below:

1. Open the application and find the Cast button.
2. Select your TV.

In-app Chromecasting is not available to all apps but is listed on the Google Store website. You could check it out on the website or you could manually navigate inside the app itself and find the Cast button.

Disconnecting Chromecasting On Windows Desktop

Unlike the process of setting up and connecting your Windows desktop to your TV, disconnecting your Chromecasting is much simpler. You just have to click the Cast button, then click “Stop casting”.

What is Google Chromecast?

You might be reading here not because you want to connect your Windows desktop to your TV via Chromecast, but just to know exactly what “Chromecast” means. Well, you came to the right page because we will give you a good explanation about this.

Chromecast is basically an electronic device made by Google that allows you to connect and mirror the display of your devices, such as phone or Windows desktop, to your TV.

It uses an HDMI connector to connect to a TV and uses WiFi to connect to your desktop PC or phone. It serves as the bridge to establish communication between your TV and another device.

Why Do I Need To Use Google Chromecast?

If you are asking this question, you might be thinking that why would you need a Google Chromecast when without one, you can also cast your screen on TV directly on a WiFi connection.

Well, Google Chromecast is quite different because it becomes a bridge between new and old technology. To tell it more simply, not all televisions are smart enough to be able to connect to WiFi. It is where Google Chromecast makes a bridge because some televisions can only be used as a screen mirroring device through its HDMI port.

Aside from that, Google Chromecast can offer a more improved screen-casting capability. Some laptops could directly connect to a TV through an HDMI cable. But with Google Chromecast, your TV that can’t connect to WiFi, can now be used using a WiFi connection.

If these functions were still not enough for you, don’t worry because Google Chromecast offers more than that. One of its amazing features is that it can turn on TVs using your phone. Google Chromecast uses HDMI-CEC technology which is supported on newer televisions and this is what makes your TV being controlled remotely through your phone.

Google Chromecast Models

Google Chromecast has also had its fair share of upgrades and releases. Being the bridge between the old and new technology surely has so much room for technological improvements.

In total, Google Chromecast had 3 different models to choose from. The first one was released in 2013 and it already had the ability to cast screen not only with your browser but also through some apps like Youtube and Netflix.

The 2nd Generation Google Chromecast or Chromecast Audio was released in 2015 and it surprised everyone with its capability to be also connected to speakers and other audio systems, making them more “smarter”. On top of that, the 2nd Generation Chromecast also had better connectivity as it can now be connected to 5 GHz Wifi bands.

The 3rd and latest release of Google Chromecast is called Chromecast Ultra and it has superb capabilities, greatly surpassing its predecessors. It focuses on video quality that is why it could now play a 4K resolution and HDR video playback. It could also play a 1080p video at 60 frames per second compared to the 2nd Generation Chromecast that could only play 60 frames per second at 720p.

The Chromecast Ultra could now be also connected through Ethernet which would greatly improve the transmission speed of data. The Chromecast Ultra is believed to be 15 percent faster than the Chromecast Audio.

Can I Cast A Game On Windows Desktop to Google Chromecast?

Absolutely. As long as the game that you want to cast is a partner of Google Store, you can find its Cast button inside the game and select it. Now, what if the game is not a partner of Google Store?

Don’t worry if the app or the game that you want to cast to your TV is not a partner because there is still a chance to pull it off. You may use the method of casting a Windows desktop to your TV, and after that, open your game in window mode. This will allow you to play your game on your TV screen. If you are looking for more ways to have a better gaming experience, you might want to check our article about the best gaming laptops.

And besides, Google regularly updates and continuously adds new partners to its Chromecast so you may be using a window mode for now, but who knows how long you would wait. What we all know is that Google is Google and it is taking the technology and digital sector like a storm. 

How To Set Up Guest Mode In Google Chromecast

Google Chromecast is an excellent entertainment tool that needs a WiFi connection. But a problem seems to arise when your guests need to connect their phone to the Chromecast but you can’t or don’t want them to connect to your WiFi, for many possible reasons. In this case, you would have to set up Guest Mode.

Google Chromecast Guest Mode is a mode of Chromecast connection that allows a phone to connect to your Chromecast without connecting to your WiFi. It allows the “guest” phone to navigate and control it and what is better is that to preserve the quality and speed of internet connection, and to save the data usage of your guests, your Chromecast will still pull data from your home WiFi.

To set up Google Chromecast Guest Mode, follow the steps below:

1. Open your Google Home app and sign in.
2. Find and tap the “Devices” button.
3. Find the Chromecast where you would want to enable the Guest Mode.
4. Tap the three-dot menu, then tap Guest Mode.
5. Tap the switch to turn it on. Then take note of the four-digit PIN.

Now, to connect the “guest phone” to your Chromecast, follow the steps below:

1. Set up your Chromecast to your TV.
2. From the “guest phone”, open the app that supports Chromecast.
3. Click the Cast button and wait for the phone to find your Google Chromecast.
4. It will automatically connect to the Chromecast that was enabled for Guest Mode. But if not, pair it and enter the four-digit PIN.
5. Tap connect.

After that, your guest should now be able to mirror their phone to your TV and send commands through their phone.

Connect Chromecast Via Ethernet

If what you have on your home is the Chromecast Ultra, you may want to use its capability to send data faster by connecting it via Ethernet. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Connect your Chromecast to your TV.
2. Then connect your Ethernet adapter to your Chromecast, internet router, and to the power outlet.

The Ethernet adapter supplies the power to the Chromecast through their connection so will not need to connect it to the USB port of your TV. Also, the length of the power cord is 78 inches so make sure to place your TV and Ethernet adapter strategically to make sure to reach the AC power source.