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You finally bought a Google Chromecast, and now you’re ready to set it up on your Samsung TV. But how do you go about doing that? Is it even compatible?
This article is a how-to guide for setting up a Google Chromecast on your Samsung TV.
How to install Chromecast on your Samsung TV
To set up your Chromecast on your Samsung TV, simply plug it into one of the HDMI ports of your TV, the other side into a power outlet, install the Google Home app on your phone, and use the app to locate, initialize, and set up your Chromecast.
For more details, follow the instructions below:
Things you’ll need
- A Samsung TV with an HDMI port
- A Chromecast device
- A Google account
- A compatible smartphone or tablet
- The Google Home app installed on your smartphone or tablet
- A Wi-Fi connection
The installation process
- If you’re Chromecast comes with a remote, start by putting the batteries into the remote.
- Plug your Chromecast into the HDMI port of your Samsung TV.
- Then, connect the power cable to the Chromecast and connect the other end to a power outlet.
- Grab your Samsung remote, and click on the Menu button.
- Click on Source and press Ok.
- A pop-up display will show you all the input sources that are currently connected to your Samsung TV.
- Select the HDMI input that your Chromecast is plugged into.
- You will begin to see on your TV screen the option to pair your Google TV remote.
- To begin pairing your Google TV remote, press and hold both the Back button and the Home button at the same time.
- Keep holding it down until you see a pulsing light on the bottom of your remote.
- Then release the buttons once you see the pulsating light.
- Now you can use your Google TV remote to navigate through the setup screen.
- Start by selecting your preferred language.
- The next screen will help you set up your Google Home app on your phone or tablet.
- You need a Google account if you haven’t already set one up.
- Download the Google home app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
- Open the Google Home app and tap on Setup Chromecast.
- The app will automatically display nearby devices, all you have to do is look for the Chromecast that pops up and select it.
- If you have multiple Chromecast waiting to be set up, you can verify which one you’re choosing by matching your Chromecast which can be found on displaying your TV.
- With your smartphone, scan the QR code located on your TV.
- Choose the room in your home where you will use the Chromecast.
- Then select your Wi-Fi network.
- And sign into Chromecast using your Google account. You must have both your phone or tablet and your Chromecast connected to the same Wi-Fi network to set up your Chromecast properly.
- Next, you need to set up your Google Assistant so that you can use your voice as a remote. If you already have Voice Match setup on another Google-connected device, Google Assistant will automatically be connected.
- Now select the services you want to use with Google TV. This will give you that personalized experience.
- Then choose what you’d like to show on your TV when it isn’t being used.
- Finally, confirm the summary of your setup on your Google Home app.
- Tap on Done.
- Grab your Google TV remote which can control your TV, sound bar, or receiver.
- If your Samsung brand TV is detected, then your Google TV Remote will be set up automatically.
- If not, you’ll see a display on your screen asking you what you would like to use to play sound between the TV, Soundbar, and receiver.
- Then it will ask you what’s the brand of your TV.
- Now, you’re going to have to set up your remote to control the volume button and the power button.
- Start by pressing the power button only once to turn off the TV.
- Wait at least eight seconds and don’t press any buttons in the meantime.
- Press the power button again and your TV should turn on. if your TV turns on, then you have successfully connected your remote to the TV. You can also test the volume as well.
- Finally, all your streaming services and apps that you’ve chosen during setup will begin installing.
- You’re ready to use your Chromecast on your Samsung TV.
How do you use Chromecast with Samsung TV?
Something that a lot of people get confused about is how a Samsung TV works with a Chromecast.
When you install a Chromecast onto any TV, the TV becomes the receiver and the Chromecast becomes the sender.
The brains of everything that is going on are all crammed within the Chromecast. You can do things like download apps and games and this will all be on your Chromecast.
So your Samsung TV will likely end up collecting dust because you most likely won’t need it anymore.
Your Samsung TV will simply be displaying the images that your Chromecast sends to it.
You can control your Chromecast by using either your smartphone or tablet or the Google TV Remote which you should have already set up.
Your menus, your settings, and even your volume and power button options should be on your Google TV remote.
The only thing you need, if ever to change, using your original Samsung remote is the display configurations or the input source.
What are the compatible Samsung TV models for Chromecast?
Almost any DVDs days are compatible with Google Chromecast as long as it has an HDMI port.
It doesn’t matter how old your TV is as long as it has an HDMI port, that is all that’s needed for Google Chromecast to connect and begin streaming for you.
Your TV doesn’t even need an internet connection, the Wi-Fi card is right inside the Chromecast itself.
So when you connect your Chromecast directly to the HDMI port of eight basic TV, that TV converts into a pseudo-Smart TV.
The setup and installation process is the same no matter what TV you use.
I’ve even tried setting up my Chromecast on my computer monitor display. It worked.
What are the troubleshooting tips for Samsung TV and Chromecast?
No display
First, check that the HDMI port on your Samsung TV is working properly.
To do this, unplug the Chromecast from the HDMI port and plug it into another port on your Samsung TV. If the Chromecast still doesn’t work, try restarting your TV.
Power issues
Next, check that the power supply for your Chromecast is working properly.
To do this, unplug the power cord from the Chromecast and plug it into another outlet. If the Chromecast still doesn’t work, try plugging another device into these outlets to see if they are working
Update issues
Finally, check for updates for both your Samsung TV and your Chromecast.
To do this, press the Home button on your Samsung remote > Settings > Support. Click on Software Update, and select Update Now. Follow the prompts to install any available updates.
Don’t turn off the TV until the update process is complete.
Do all smart TVs have Chromecast built-in?
Chromecast is a line of digital media players developed by Google.
The devices, designed as small dongles, enable users with a mobile device or personal computer to initiate and control the playback of Internet-streamed audio-visual content on a high-definition television or home audio systems.
You can control these systems through mobile and web apps that support the Google Cast technology.
Unfortunately, not all smart TVs have Chromecast built into them. There are many other competitors in the niche including Amazon’s Fire Stick, Roku oh, and Apple TV.
These devices all compete head-to-head by providing similar features and functionalities.
Some of them are contracted with the TV manufacturer to come pre-installed with the streaming media device software.
As a result, some Samsung smart TVs do have Google’s Chromecast built-in.
How to tell if your Samsung TV has Chromecast built-in
There are multiple ways to tell if your Samsung TV has Chromecast built-in.
Chromecast usually works as long as you have a registered Google account. Look around in your settings and your account to see if it is your Google account that is connected to your Samsung Smart TV.
Try to think back to when you were setting up your Samsung TV for the first time. Do you remember setting up your Google account and Google Assistant? Do you remember having to set up your voice match?
If any of these are true then it is likely that you were setting up your Google account for a built-in Chromecast.
Sometimes you might find the answer right next to your profile icon labeling the software as Google Chromecast.
You can also try checking into the system firmware of your Samsung TV to see if there’s any word of Google Chromecast in the bios.
Finally, one definitive way to check and see if your Samsung TV has Chromecast built-in is to look for the Google Play Store app. The Google Play Store app will only work on the Chromecast operating system.
How to cast with built-in Chromecast on Samsung Smart TVs
You might be wondering how to cast on Samsung TV using SmartThings App.
If your Samsung Smart TV happens to come with built-in Chromecast software, follow these steps to unlock this function:
- Start by downloading the SmartThings app on your mobile phone. This app brings together all your Samsung-compatible devices. It is the central hub that connects your devices it allows you to configure, modify, and view all of them in a single app.
- Enable Smart View, which is a feature similar to screen sharing. Simply select the Mobile device’s screen that you want to mirror.
- Make sure both your Samsung TV and your mobile device with your SmartThings app are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Being connected to the same network allows them to verify each other. It’s a security issue.
- Find your Samsung TV through the SmartThings app. Samsung SmartThings app is constantly searching for other devices that can connect to it. It should automatically find your Samsung TV. Just make sure that it is connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- You can now start mirroring your content from your smart device to your Samsung TV by clicking on the Smart View option.
How to cast on Samsung TV using Chromecast
If you are looking to cast any images or your home screen from your phone onto a Samsung TV using Chromecast, there are several ways to do this.
There are certain restrictions when it comes to what type of device you are using that will allow you to cast certain things onto your Samsung TV.
For example, your iPhone will not be able to cast its entire home screen to your Chromecast-connected device. But there are Chromecast-compatible Google apps that will work well with multiple devices.
Casting your Android screen to your Chromecast-connected TV
To cast your phone’s home screen to your Samsung TV it has connected to a Chromecast. Keep in mind that this will only work on Android and is not supported on iOS or Windows devices.
This is otherwise known as mirroring your phone to your TV.
To do so, follow these instructions:
- On your Android phone, go to Settings.
- Click on Apps.
- Click on Google Play Services.
- Click on Permissions.
- Make sure your Android phone or tablet is connected to the same Wi-Fi as your Chromecast.
- Open up your Google home app.
- Touch and hold the tile of the device that you want to cast your smartphone screen on.
And that should work!
For a better experience, make sure you have power savings mode off. Also, make sure you have your microphone permissions turned on for the Google Play services app.
Casting YouTube to your Chromecast-connected TV
You can also cast a YouTube video on your Samsung TV using the YouTube app.
- Start with making sure that you’re smart or computer is connected to the same Wi-Fi as the Chromecast.
- Open up your YouTube app.
- Click on the Cast button on the YouTube home screen and it will automatically connect.
What are the advantages of using Chromecast vs Smart TV features?
Frequent updates
If you own a Chromecast, one of the best advantages is that you will receive frequent updates to improve the performance and capabilities of your Chromecast.
TVs with built-in smart features are great and all, but most often than not they don’t get updated. The manufacturers will most likely move on to the next TV and almost certainly forget about the old one.
Chromecast is a media device that Google works tirelessly on to improve more and more with every update. Google has sold millions of the same devices and updating them all is much easier than updating every model of TV it comes out every few weeks.
With updates, you get bug fixes that help your Chromecast perform better and faster without any of the hiccups. Updates are essential for software devices.
Download apps and games
With a Chromecast, aside from the updates, you can also download apps and games to your Chromecast. These apps and games themselves are usually updated and developed across all platforms of Android.
Compared to a smart TV, the chances of a developer improving or developing new games and apps specifically for that Samsung Smart TV is tiny.
The benefit of owning a Chromecast is that there are many of these devices in every household and whenever a developer develops such a device, it is easily distributed across every single Chromecast that exists.
This is sometimes not the case for a built-in Smart TV. When a developer develops a Samsung Smart TV, there is a highly likely chance that he or she will have to do some configurations to make it compatible with a smart TV made by LG or Vizio, for example.
That’s a lot of work for developers and unfortunate for anyone who only owns a smart TV but not a Chromecast.
Voice controls
With all the updates that Google sends out for Chromecast, you benefit from the feature called voice control.
Here, you can control almost 80% of your media consumption with only your voice. You only need to say the activation phrase, “Hey Google…” and then speak your command.
The more specific you are the better your results. You can even ask to change the volume of your TV and turn on and off your TV with just your voice.
Gone are the days when you needed your remote control.
How do I connect my Chromecast to my WIFI?
Connect your Chromecast to your Wi-Fi network is all set up through your Google Home app. I highly recommend downloading your Google Home app from the Google Play store or the Apple App Store. It’s essential.
To connect your Chromecast to your Wi-Fi, log into your Google Home app, locate the specific Chromecast that you’re trying to integrate Wi-Fi into, and simply set up the Chromecast.
Your Google Home app will take you through the device setup process allowing you to pick up the Chromecast you want, connect it to your Wi-Fi network, and have it run.
This process goes the same for any Samsung TV device that you connect to your Google Chromecast.
The Google Home app access is similar to the SmartThings app for Samsung devices. The Google Home app acts as a central Hub that places all of your Google devices into one user interface so that you can control all of them from a single app.
It’s extremely powerful and allows you to connect, control, and configure all your Google devices, including your Google Nest cameras, your Google Nest Thermostat, your Google Chromecast, your Google Home speakers, and your Google Home displays.
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