The Chromecast is one of our favourite inventions of all time. This  tiny device looks like just another USB but is shockingly more capable and helpful! 

Today, everything around us has evolved to be smart, and we think that’s what helped Chromecast come to life. It helps cast our browser tabs, videos, media, etc. on the big screen, giving us an enhanced, never-before experience. This means that you don’t need to watch anything on your phone anymore. You can cast it on your big-screen TV. The same holds true for laptops! Why settle with 15 inches when you can watch it on 32 inches (or more)? Tell us, isn’t that super smart?

If you bought a Chromecast but are wondering how to use it or if you are planning to get one but have doubts about it, here’s a guide that will help you. We shall speak about casting a browser tab from your laptop in detail to help you out. Let’s start.

What you need

Make sure you have all these before you get started:

  • A laptop
  • A Chromecast or Chromecast Ultra. If you have a TV with a built-in Chromecast, you don’t need to buy the device
  •  A working, seamless Wi-Fi connection
  • Updated Google Chrome on your laptop

Also, please ensure that your laptop and your TV/Chromecast are on the same Wi-Fi network. Otherwise, you won’t be able to cast it from your computer.

How you can cast

In order to cast the browser (Chrome) tab, these are the steps you should follow:

  • Open Chrome on your laptop
  • On the right, at the top, you will see More
  • Click on it and then click on Cast
  • Choose your Chromecast device
  • The content on your screen will change, and you will now see whatever is on your browser
  • After you are done casting, you can end it by clicking on Cast and then Stop

To cast a video, here’s what you should do:

  • On the video itself, you will see the Cast option and icon
  • The video will start playing on your TV, but the sound will only play on your TV. You won’t have to worry about sound playing simultaneously on both devices, thus. 

If you want to cast your entire computer screen, you can do that too! Below are the steps:

  • The first 3 steps are the same as in the first case (casting the browser)
  • After you click on Cast, you will see Cast to and a down arrow
  • Click on the down arrow and then choose the Cast Desktop option
  • You will see your screen on the TV now

BONUS – How to use Chromecast without Wi-Fi

Sometimes, due to very unfortunate circumstances, the Wi-Fi fails us. Or, the TV just doesn’t connect! Thankfully, we now have a remedy. 

Until recently, a working Wi-Fi connection was a necessity, and those who didn’t have this on both their devices couldn’t use the Chromecast. Recent updates have changed this, making the Chromecast more accessible to users. As long as your device is updated and is on the latest firmware, you can use it without Wi-Fi. Here’s how:

Switch on the Guest Mode setting. It is new, and it is amazing! This setting opens the Chromecast up to anyone who is not on the same Wi-Fi network. It connects through a code that either transits automatically through audio or by typing it in. We tried this by not connecting the TV to the same Wi-Fi connection, and it worked wonders. 

Also, if you have a working Ethernet connection but your TV is not able to catch it, plugging the cable in it will work just as well. But, here you will need an Ethernet adapter for Chromecast because the device plugs into the router itself. 

There you go! We told you it wasn’t hard, right? Go on then, buy this neat little device, and cast from your laptop with the utmost ease. Of course, you can thank us later!