Apple TV is one of the few apps that does not support casting, making it impossible to cast to a Chromecast device, including the newer Chromecast with Google TV. Although there is no ability to cast to a Chromecast device from the app, a web browser workaround does make it possible to watch Apple TV movies and shows on a Chromecast device. For owners of a Chromecast with Google TV, there’s no need to cast Apple TV to begin with.
The Apple TV app is a good option for renting or buying movies and show episodes, and is also how consumers can access Apple TV+. Although the Apple TV+ subscription service started off slowly, it has gradually been building out its library over time with high quality and popular content. At the same time, Apple TV device support has also been expanding, making it possible to access all the videos on more devices than Apple’s own hardware. However, there are still a number of devices that are not yet supported.
The Apple TV app for iPhone and iPad currently doesn’t support Chromecast. It is also unclear if that’s going to change. Instead, Apple expects those using one of its devices to utilize AirPlay support. If a smart TV or streaming device does support AirPlay in addition to Chromecast, then AirPlay works the same as casting, making it possible to watch on a larger screen at home. However, this won’t be an option for Chromecast users considering Google’s casting device does not support AirPlay either.
Options for casting Apple TV to a Chromecast
For those with the newer Chromecast with Google TV, there’s no need to cast Apple TV to begin with. In early 2021, the Apple TV app became available to directly download on the latest Chromecast. As a result, users can simply download the Apple TV app from the Google Play Store instead. Once downloaded, it is just a matter of signing in with the user’s Apple ID, and then streaming any of the Apple TV shows or movies, including Apple TV+ content. It is also worth noting that select Android TV (now Google TV) devices can also download the Apple TV app and support casting, making this a possible alternative to directly casting to a Chromecast with Google TV.
If working with an older Chromecast model then the downloading of the app is not going to work considering the older models do not support app downloads. In this situation, the best solution is to access the Apple TV website via a browser like Chrome, and then cast the website directly to a Chromecast device from the browser. Again, users will need to sign in to the Apple TV website, but then they can simply use Chrome’s built-in ability to cast to nearby devices to find the Chromecast and stream videos.
Although not as convenient as casting directly from a smartphone app, Chromecast users have little option when it comes to watching Apple TV and Apple TV+ on a Chromecast. This may change in the future if the Apple TV app gains Chromecast support, but it currently remains to be seen if that’s going to happen any time soon. In the meantime, consumers shouldn’t wait for the Apple TV app to gain Chromecast support.
Apple TV and Chromecast summary
There is no option to cast Apple TV to a Chromecast when watching through the app on an iPhone or iPad. This is not totally surprising considering cross-platform support between Apple and Google has always been an issue to some degree. Recently, there has been improvements in this area and it is possible that the Apple TV app may gain Chromecast support in the future. However, that’s far from guaranteed.
For now, there are a couple of options. Firstly, if using the newer Chromecast with Google TV, then there is no need to actually cast the app as Apple TV can be directly downloaded on the device via the Google Play store. For those with older Chromecast models, the only real option is to visit the Apple TV website through a web browser like Chrome and then use the browser’s built in cast option to connect to a Chromecast device.
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