Chromecast or Google Cast? Google’s confusing wireless streaming tech explained

In August 2024, Google debuted a new device called Google TV Streamer — its first set-top box media streamer. At the same time, the company announced that it would no longer sell the Streamer’s predecessor (Google Chromecast With Google TV). Chromecast, as a brand and as a product, was officially discontinued.

However, Chromecast (the technology) is still alive and well; it lives on under a new (though also old) name: Google Cast.

Confused? We don’t blame you. Google’s branding and technology has always been a little capricious and unpredictable. But don’t worry, we’re going to clarify it all. Here’s the missing road map to the world of Chromecast (and Google Cast), with everything you need to know.

Chromecast hardware

In 2013, Google debuted a small gadget called Chromecast. The device let you stream audio and video from your smartphone, tablet, or computer to your TV. At the time, when smart TVs were still a rarity, it was a far more affordable way to do TV streaming than dedicated streaming media devices like Roku and Apple TV.

That device proved very popular thanks to its low price and simplicity of operation, and was quickly followed by the Chromecast Audio (for transmitting just audio to a set of powered speakers or any device with an audio input). Google eventually introduced two more Chromecasts, including the 4K/HDR-capable Chromecast Ultra.

All of these devices shared a common philosophy. They depended on a source device to “cast” content to them — usually a smartphone or tablet, but occasionally a browser on a computer. These initial Chromecast devices didn’t have remote controls. Every aspect of their operation (choosing content, play/pause, volume, etc.) was done from the source device. There was no on-screen interface and no built-in apps or functions.

The technology that let you send content from your phone to a Chromecast was known as Google Cast. Chromecast buyers were encouraged to look for smartphone apps that were Google Cast-enabled.

In 2016, when Google wanted to make it clear that you could also cast to select third-party devices, it created the label “Chromecast built-in.” At the time, this made sense. If your smart TV had Chromecast built-in, it meant it could do the same things as a Chromecast Ultra (if it was a 4K/HDR TV) and if your soundbar has Chromecast built-in, it meant it could the same things as a Chromecast Audio.

At around the same time, Google stopped referring to Google Cast-enabled apps. Instead, these became known as Chromecast-enabled apps.

Enter Google TV

While Google’s portfolio of Chromecast devices proved popular, there was no getting around the fact that the lack of an on-screen interface and remote control was becoming a problem. As devices from Roku and Amazon became cheaper and cheaper, Chromecast devices began to lose their appeal.

Strangely, Google had already created a competitive platform known as Android TV, which several TV and set-top box makers were using to create rich, app-driven streaming media experiences. But Google had never created its own Android TV product.

That changed in 2020 with the release of Google Chromecast with Google TV, a complete streaming media device based on Android TV, but enhanced with a special content discovery interface known as Google TV. Shortly after the emergence of this new device, Google discontinued all of its older Chromecast products.

Google Chromecast with Google TV proved to be a very compelling product that kept all of the casting capabilities of the older Chromecast devices, but could also be used independently as a standalone streaming platform. Google created two versions: one that handled 4K/HDR, and a less expensive model that was limited to 1080p/HDR.

Unfortunately, this created a disconnect in the minds of buyers. If you buy a soundbar with “Chromecast built-in,” does that mean it does the same things as a Google Chromecast with Google TV? What about a wireless speaker? Or an Android TV set-top box?

Back to Google Cast

Google realized at this point that the label “Chromecast built-in” no longer conveyed the right information to buyers. These third-party devices, from soundbars and projectors, to smart TVs and Wi-Fi-connected speakers from brands like LG, JBL, Bang & Olufsen, Vizio, Denon, and many more — they all shared the same key feature: the ability to receive Google Cast sessions from compatible products, but they do not reproduce the full set of features of Google’s current Chromecast with Google TV streamer.

It took a while to get things sorted, but in May 2024, Google changed Chromecast built-in back to Google Cast.

Ultimately, however, Chromecast built-in and Google Cast mean the same thing: a product bearing one of these labels can receive casted audio and/or video, depending on whether it has a screen or just a speaker.

Bye-bye Chromecast

A few months later, Google put the final nail in the Chromecast coffin when it released the Google TV Streamer, a $100 set-top box. It offers some nice extras, like on-screen Google Home control, built-in Ethernet, more storage, and a faster processor, but is (in every other sense) the same as the Google Chromecast with Google TV that it replaced.

For the remainder of 2024, and possibly into 2025, you will still see products that say they have Chromecast built-in, but this (and all other Chromecast references) are now a thing of the past.

In today’s simpler world, there is only the Google TV Streamer, third-party Android TV devices that use the Google TV interface (e.g., Walmart’s Onn 4K Pro, Nvidia Shield TV), and third-party devices that are Google Cast-enabled (smart TVs, wireless speakers, soundbars, etc.)

How does Google Cast work?

Casting uses different techniques depending on the content you want to watch or listen to. If the content you’re casting comes from a streaming service, such as YouTube or Spotify, you’re actually sending an instruction from one device to another. When casting a YouTube video from your phone to a Google Cast-enabled device, your phone is saying, “Here’s a YouTube video I want you to play.” The cast-enabled device then dutifully responds by accessing YouTube directly using its own internet connection so it can stream that video for you.

In this scenario, your phone is simply acting as a remote control, and that includes the ability to play, pause, or fast-forward/rewind.

The only limitation is that your chosen streaming app must support casting. Not all of them do, and some are picky about which devices are used to do the casting. Amazon Prime Video, for instance, will let you cast from an Android or iOS device, but not from a computer.

If you want to cast music stored on your computer or phone or mirror the entire contents of your phone’s screen or perhaps a tab in the Chrome browser, that content must be physically streamed over your home network (or over a hotel’s Wi-Fi network) from one device to another.

Isn’t that what Apple AirPlay does?

Pretty much. Google Cast and AirPlay work very similarly, but with a few key differences.

PCs, Android, and iOS devices can all cast content to compatible Google Cast-enabled devices (as long as the app in question supports it.) AirPlay-enabled devices can only accept streamed content from Apple products, like iPhones, iPads, and Macs. At the moment, there’s no support for AirPlay on Android or Windows devices.

With Google Cast-enabled video apps, you must cast both video and audio to the same device. AirPlay-enabled video apps give you a choice: send just the audio to an AirPlay speaker, or send video and audio to an AirPlay receiver like an Apple TV or a smart TV.

Google Cast also supports higher-resolution audio: You can stream up to 24-bit/96kHz hi-res lossless audio using Google Cast, but AirPlay is restricted to a maximum of 16-bit/44.1kHz CD-quality lossless audio (though in many cases, you’re more likely to end up with lossy, 16-bit audio). In the fall of 2024, Apple expects to add spatial audio streaming to its AirPlay protocol, something Google Cast doesn’t yet offer.

Google Cast and Google Home

One of the advantages of owning a Google Cast-enabled product is that it can be managed from within the Google Home app on iOS and Android. Once added to Google Home, you’ll be able to control things like playback and volume for each device, assign them to different rooms, and, if they’re speakers, create speaker groups that will play the same casted audio simultaneously. You’ll also be able to use Google Assistant to control these devices with your voice and add them to smart home routines.

How to cast

In your favorite mobile app, look for a rectangular icon with three concentric rings in the corner. On some apps, this can be found on the main screen, like the Android Netflix app seen above. On other apps, it may only be accessible from the playback screen.

Tap that icon, and you’ll be presented with a list of the Google Cast-compatible devices on your network. Keep in mind, if you’re casting video content, the list will only show you video-capable devices like smart TVs or streaming media devices. When casting audio, you will likely see both audio- and video-capable Google Cast devices.

Simply pick your desired device from the list to begin a casting session. Depending on whether you tapped the cast icon from a playback screen or not, your chosen content may begin playing on your selected device right away, or you may need to initiate playback from the casting device.

Once the casting session has started, the cast icon will change from an empty rectangle to a filled-in rectangle. You can control playback or end the casting session at any time by tapping on the Cast icon again.