When Google Chromecast was released in 2013, it was considered a major innovation in the streaming world. With a price tag of $35 abroad, it has made watching videos over the internet on an average HD TV extremely economical. Although the affordability of Chromecast required sacrificing some features, such as the lack of a physical remote control, these shortcomings were turned into advantages over time. Because Chromecast was developed primarily as a broadcast protocol controlled via a phone or computer.
Originally introduced as a stick-shaped HDMI device, Chromecast was developed over time into a full-featured Android TV platform, and in 2020 it became a smart TV device with a remote control under the name “Chromecast with Google TV”. Although Google announced that it has stopped producing Chromecast devices as of August 2024, the Chromecast protocol is still in use and looks set to continue its existence for many years. Many devices today support this protocol, also called “Google Cast”.
Although Chromecast is a product of Google, it has a successful history of supporting Apple devices as well. Encouraging developers to add Chromecast support to their mobile applications, Google also supported the Chrome browser on Mac computers. In this way, even users who are deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem can easily use Chromecast or Chromecast-enabled Google TV devices. It is also possible to extend Chromecast functionality by adding plug-ins to the Safari browser. Now, let’s take a detailed look at how to cast video from Mac to Chromecast.
How to cast from Mac via Chromecast?
Starting a video cast from your Mac to Chromecast is pretty simple. Below we explain step by step how to broadcast using the Google Chrome browser:
- Open Google Chrome Browser: First, launch the Google Chrome browser on your Mac. If you do not have a Chrome browser, you can download and install it from Google’s website.
- Go to Menu: In the browser, click on the “more” menu, which consists of three vertical dots in the upper right corner of the screen. This menu contains browser settings and other options.
- Find Publish Option: In the menu that opens, you will see the “Publish, Save and Share” option. Click on this option by hovering over it and then select “Publish” from the second menu that opens.
- Choose Your Device: Select your preferred Chromecast supported device from the listed devices. If another device is currently streaming, the new content will terminate the previous broadcast.
If the video player you want to cast to does not have native Chromecast support, all content in the open tab will be streamed directly to your Chromecast receiver. Once the casting process is complete, you can select the “Stop Casting” option by clicking the Chromecast icon in the upper right corner of the screen again.
How to cast to Chromecast via Safari?
Apart from the Google Chrome browser, it is also possible to use Chromecast in Safari for Mac users. However, this is not a default feature in the Safari browser and requires the installation of a plug-in. Send to TV or otherwise known as VideoCast for Safari The plugin makes this process easier. However, this add-on can only stream non-copy-protected videos because it accesses the source code of the video page and tries to send the corresponding video or playlist to Chromecast. There is also another point to consider. Although the app is free to install, you need to upgrade to the Pro version for it to work. This requires a one-time payment of 399 TL.
You can follow these steps to cast video with Chromecast via Safari:
- Install the Plugin: First, you need to download and install this plugin from the Mac App Store. Once the installation is complete, the plugin icon will appear at the top of your browser.
- Open Video: Open the video you want to publish in Safari. This video may be hosted on a web page or streamed via a video streaming platform.
- Click on the Chromecast Icon: The extension you just installed in Safari will be located next to the extension buttons in the upper left corner of the browser. Click on the Chromecast icon.
- Select Receiving Device: Select your Chromecast device in the menu that appears. After selecting the video name you want to publish, you can start the process. However, if the video has copy protection, you may receive an error message. In this case, you cannot cast that video via Chromecast.
Casting content from Mac to Chromecast is a pretty simple and fast process, especially via the Google Chrome browser. However, for Safari users, it is possible to perform this operation without using Chrome, thanks to existing add-ons, including the paid solution we recommend. However, it should be taken into consideration that copy-protected videos cannot be published. However, some third-party add-ons, especially those for Safari, can occasionally present performance issues or become incompatible with browser updates. Mac users can easily stream content to their televisions thanks to a wider range of protocols such as Chromecast, without relying on Apple’s own solutions. This will provide both an economical solution and seamless integration between devices.