Google has released its official Chromecast app for iOS today, allowing Apple mobile devices to officially control the HDMI accessory. The app allows for functionality such as managing Chromecast settings for changing the name, password, and settings of the device, as well as allowing setup of the Chromecast through an iOS device. The app also allows users to stream content from iOS apps, including YouTube and Netflix.

chromecast

Chromecast is the easiest way to enjoy online video and anything from the web on your TV. Plug it into any HDTV and control it with your existing smartphone, tablet, or laptop. No remotes required. Cast your favorites from YouTube, Netflix, Google Play Movies and Google Play Music and Chrome to your TV with the press of a button.

Originally announced and released in July, Chromecast allows for functionality similar to AirPlay and Apple TV, allowing users to mirror content from a tablet, smartphone, or computer. Following the launch of Chromecast, Apple lowered the price of its refurbished Apple TVs to $74, offering a $24 discount off of its intended $99 price. Additionally, a comparison chart between Chromecast, Apple TV, and media device Roku surfaced to examine the differences between all devices.

Google’s Chromecast app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

superwoman Avatar
152 months ago

...Chromecast allows for functionality similar to AirPlay and Apple TV, allowing users to mirror content from a tablet, smartphone, or computer.

This statement is false. That's not how Chromecast works at all.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The Phazer Avatar
152 months ago
Just in time!

Google blocks Chromecast app that let you stream your own videos (http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/25/4657202/google-blocks-chromecast-app-that-let-you-stream-own-videos)

Not read the update at the bottom of the article, huh?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
musika Avatar
152 months ago
Just in time!

Google blocks Chromecast app that let you stream your own videos (http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/25/4657202/google-blocks-chromecast-app-that-let-you-stream-own-videos)

EDIT: I just read the update at the bottom of the article, and it doesn't seem that Google is interested in limiting the types of content you can use with the Chromecast.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The Phazer Avatar
152 months ago
I read the update--And the fact remains Google intentionally blocked the local content workaround at the moment.

"Intentionally blocked" is a pretty different thing from "was indifferent about breaking something acting against the terms of what is clearly marked as an unfinished SDK."

Anyway, this app - surely this is irrelevant to actually casting to a Chromecast? The app wouldn't be able to affect what YouTube or Netflix did inside their apps.

It's just the settings app, yeah?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Exotic-Car Man Avatar
152 months ago
For those unsure how Chromecast works. (http://youtube.com/watch?v=TK4u6wm-HIk&hd=1)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
benpatient Avatar
152 months ago
I read the update--And the fact remains Google intentionally blocked the local content workaround at the moment.


You don't seem to know what the words "fact" or "intentionally" mean.

If I released an unsupported iOS app that relied on an unlisted testing feature in OS X Mavericks that was removed or rewritten during the developer preview, you wouldn't be dogging Apple for anything, you'd be saying "well, what did they expect? it wasn't even an approved feature, and it wasn't made for that purpose!"

This is the same thing, only the developer reverse-engineered Google's proprietary code to enable the work-around. That's not a reliable solution for anything. It's possible that all they had to do to "break" his code is to recompile the source a slightly different way, or standardize the name on a couple of functions, or merge a couple of code libraries that were redundant.

We have no idea, but it is transitional, early code, and they said as much right from the start. Google isn't known for malicious coding. It isn't worth the investment of developer time, and it isn't worth the potential backlash. This is a company whose major products are all free.

----------

Chromecast isn't able to receive streamed data directly from any device, so AirPlay would be hard.

Chromecast is actually running a simplified version of Chrome OS, i.e. a Google Chrome browser on a chip that you give commands to.

For example, to play a YouTube clip, the app actually tells Chromecast to "Visit YouTube and play this clip at this address". No video is sent from your device! That's why it can do Netflix, YouTube, or mirror a Google Chrome tab (it simply visits the page for you), but why AirPlay would be hard and probably also suffer in quality since it'd need to stream AirPlay via some proxy website. It can show anything that Chrome can show easily, but everything else is hard or impossible. It'll probably never be able to mirror an iPad display.

Chromecast has unofficial PC desktop mirroring support, but I assume this one uses some proxy method, so that your desktop (grabbed by the local Google Chrome) is sent somewhere on the web, and Chromecast retrieves it from there. If this method doesn't support audio, that would explain why this experimental feature indeed doesn't mirror audio along with the screen.

Not quite right, there. When you cast a Chrome tab, it doesn't go and pull that content from the internet directly via the Chromecast. That wouldn't be possible on things like websites that require authentication. It is casting directly from your local device (laptop, for example), and sending that info (audio and video) to the Chromecast directly.

I can Cast my work email, which won't even let me log in to two browser sessions at once using two different browsers or two windows of the same browser. It's legitimately like "screen sharing", and there is experimental support for screen sharing, as well. That isn't going out to the internet and coming back to the chromecast. It's staying on the local network.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

iPhones Could Cost Up to $2,300 in the U.S. Due to Tariffs, Analyst Says

Friday April 4, 2025 9:30 am PDT by
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that steep tariffs will be applied to imports from many countries, starting April 9. The tariffs could have a significant impact on Apple, as the company assembles the majority of iPhones in China, and products imported to the U.S. from China will be subject to a 54% tariff. iPhone prices could increase by up to 43% in the U.S. due to the...
iphone 16 pro colors 1

Is Now the Time to Upgrade Apple Devices Before Tariffs Lead to Price Increases?

Friday April 4, 2025 3:41 pm PDT by
If you have an older Apple device that you've been considering upgrading, you're probably wondering how the newly announced tariffs might impact prices going forward, and whether it's worth buying now before there's a price hike. Given analyst and economist responses to the tariffs, market panic, and Trump's stance on the current financial chaos, the answer is that making a purchase...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro: New 48MP Telephoto Lens May Change How Zoom Works

Thursday April 3, 2025 5:11 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly planning a major upgrade to the Telephoto camera in the iPhone 17 Pro, and while it may seem like a step back on paper, the change could actually improve real-world usability, if one leaker's claims are anything to go by. According to Majin Bu, the iPhone 17 Pro will feature a new Telephoto lens with a 48MP sensor, up from the current 12MP sensor found in the iPhone 16...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Tuesday April 1, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Apple has released iOS 18.4, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new things your ‌iPhone‌ ...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...