Despite the fact that the Google Chromecast is not one of the most complex devices, neither in the configuration nor in the use, there are always possibilities of errors. The Chromecast does not appear connected, the icon does not appear to send on the phone, the playback is cut and other common problems: we offer you the most common and simple solutions to fix the most common Google Chromecast errors.
Google does not manufacture many devices since theirs is software, but it does have a collection of devices ranging from mobiles to smart speakers. But there is one that broke the mold since its presentation: the Chromecast. A simple player that, once connected to a free HDMI on TV, allows you to send almost any mobile content to the big screen. Its simplicity and versatility have made Google Chromecast a best seller; without being without problems, like all the ones we will collect below.
The Google Chromecast does not appear connected
It is the most common: you are going to send a movie from your mobile and it turns out that the Chromecast icon does not appear in the application . It is an error that all users have suffered more than once and that it has various solutions: it is convenient to go one by one until you find the reason for the problem.
To solve most problems, an application is usually essential, the same one with which you made the original Chromecast configuration: Google Home. It is available for both Android and iOS. In the event that you do not keep it installed, our recommendation is that you download it: it will surely help you. If only to see the mobile screen on the TV .
Once you have downloaded the Home application, let’s see how you can solve the most common Chromecast problems.
Check that your mobile is in the same WiFi of the Chromecast
In order to send movies and videos to TV, the Google Chromecast and your mobile must share the same WiFI network . So, in the event that the icon does not appear, check the following settings:
- Go to phone settings and make sure you are not using mobile data . If you didn’t have WiFi active, turn on the option on the phone.
- Go to the wireless configuration and verify that you connected to your main WiFi network , the one that you also use in the Chromecast. If you were on another network, switch to the usual one.
- Close the app you were using to send content to the Chromecast and reopen it. If the icon still does not appear, start YouTube and verify that it does appear there.
If you did the above and the device still does not appear to send you content, chances are there is a network problem , both caused by the Chromecast and by your router. So it is time to apply the universal remedy in everything that concerns electronic devices that do not work.
Restart Chromecast and network
Most errors are solved with a restart: if your phone is connected to the usual network, and the Chromecast does not appear as available, touch turn it off and then on again. So you look behind the TV, remove the micro USB power cable and reconnect it seconds later. The Chromecast will reboot and surely connect to the WiFi correctly. The process usually does not last more than a couple of minutes.
What still does not appear as available? Often the problem is not with the Chromecast itself, but with your access point. So hit the second reboot: your home network. Turn off the router and turn it on again seconds later . This process takes longer, but should not take more than five minutes.
Reinstall the Google Chromecast
If after doing all the above processes you still don’t see the Google Chromecast available, the best thing you can do is reinstall it. Although it seems like a cumbersome process, reinstallation takes only a few minutes of time ; and fix most errors that the device usually throws.
To reinstall the Chromecast you must do the following:
- Go behind the TV, locate the Chromecast, and hold the only button it has. It is located next to the micro USB cable.
- The Chromecast will have been reset to the factory settings. Now it is as if you installed it from scratch.
- Open the Google Home application, click on the ‘+’ in the upper left corner, and then click on ‘Set up device’. The app should find the Chromecast.
- Make sure that the same code appears on TV and mobile and continue with the process.
- Choose the usual WiFi network in your house and complete the installation.
After reinstalling the Google Chromecast, most connection errors should be fixed. Stability and reproduction problems are also usually fixed : it is a simple process that has notable advantages; and he often avoids breaking his head looking for other solutions. Now it is not magic.
The solution to the rest of the problems of Google Chromecast
The connection errors are solved with the previous steps: whenever the WiFi network in your house works well, the Google Chromecast connected to it should also work . However, playback slows, pixelated image for too long (quality loss from time to time is relatively normal) and other drawbacks may occur. Let’s see how you can fix them, at least for the most part.
- The loss of quality in the video may be due to the service and not to your Chromecast and/or the WiFi network. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney +, or YouTube are currently lowering quality, for example.
- To view content in high resolution (4K) you need an Internet connection that offers sufficient download speed. If you have fiber, you should have no problems watching videos on the Chromecast with up to 4K resolution, but things change if you have ADSL or your operator does not offer you the speed you have contracted. If your Chromecast does not look good because of the speed that reaches the router, you can do little more than change companies. If you have a choice, of course.
- Place the router as close to the television as possible. With this, you will gain image stability, avoid connection problems, and also palliate the pixelation of the content.
- Set up the Chromecast with the 2.4 GHz WiFi network. If your router is too far from TV, a good idea is to connect it to the 2.4 GHz network, the most stable over long distances. Of course, it may not give enough download speed if you are used to viewing the content in 4K.
- Use a slightly congested WiFi channel. If you live in a building with many WiFi networks, your router is probably broadcasting over a saturated radio frequency channel; making it difficult to use WiFi devices, such as Chromecast. Our recommendation is that you find out which channels are used the most to configure your router in the least used. You can do it with this tutorial. You can also configure an automatic channel so that the router is the one you choose (it will not always choose well, it is best to do it manually).
- Configure your router so that it does not hinder the use of Chromecast. A poor configuration of the WiFi network can ruin the sending of content to the TV. Therefore, make sure that you do not have a VPN network activated on the router or proxy servers, activate UPnP (Universal Plug and Play), and enable IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol). If you did not modify the router settings beyond changing WiFi passwords (and the password to access the router itself) you should not have problems with the Chromecast.
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