How To: Use Chromecast with your phone's tethered 3G/4G hotspot with a little trickery

Chromecast is pretty damn awesome. If you're a normal person with access to Wi-Fi, that is. For those of us landline-refusniks dependent on just the 3G/4G signal from our phone's hotspot, it's pretty damn useless. Well it was, until now!

To start off, I'm assuming you've already set up Chromecast with either an Android tablet or Chrome browser. If not, I think you'll still need to do that. That's how I set up mine before this little trick came along.

If you're on KitKat, it's now possible to cast stuff from your phone to your TV regardless of the Chromecast app bitching that it needs a Wi-Fi signal. To do this, first you'll need to have a rooted phone (if it's not rooted, it's very easily to do with an app called Towel Root*).  You'll then need an app called Mirror Enabler - which is rather easy to use too. It's a one button job, and it's done!

Now open the Chromecast app on your phone. It will bitch about Wi-Fi still, but we can ignore that. Click 'Cancel' and open up the menu. Click 'Cast Screen' in the options menu, choose your Chromecast and cast to it. Hey presto, your phone is now on your TV!

Casting your phone's screen is all well and good, but the video quality is inconsistent, getting pretty dire at times. But, thanks to this little trick, you can now use whatever apps natively support casting from your phone too. This includes the likes of Netflix and iPlayer here in Blighty.

*Rooting your phone can void your warranty, and cause you to mess up your phone if you're not careful. Currently UK video apps such as Sky Go and NOW TV won't work on phones that are rooted (annoyingly, as they'd be ideal on Chromecast).

Finally, make sure you've got a generous allowance of 3G data and that your phone company doesn't charge any extra for tethering. Basically, don't blame me if you get a bill for hundreds of pounds, dollars or euros!

If you're in the UK too, you can now avail yourself of a Chromecast for just £18 at such fine establishments as Amazon and Tesco.

Comments

[Chromecast User]

Thanks!

[yournamehere]

It seems a lot of people are having trouble with connecting a chrome cast to their android's hotspot.

You can do it without mirrors and roots.

You will need a third device one time.

1) start over...reset all chromecast app data and reset the chromecast by pushing the button next to the light. Now unplug it you don't need the WiFi signal it puts out confusing you.
And turn off your phones WiFi!!!!!

2) turn on your phones hotspot
Re-set network ssid and password.
Set number of users to 3.

3)on other device.....
turn on WiFi and connect to your phones hotspot.
Log into your Google play store account and download chromecast app from the "my apps" and open it.
plug in chromecast.
Write down the "I see the code" code
Set up chromecast to your hotspot with the new ssid and password.
The chromecast should be connected to your hotspot now.

Close the app and open up your YouTube account. The TV icon should be on your homepage. If not play something, once it starts tap the screen for options it will be top right on video. Hit it and choose connect to chromecast. It will be playing on your TV not the device. Its not mirrored.

4) now its your phones turn.
Open the chromecast app. I see the code will come up on your phone but not the TV that's why you wrote it all down. Go through it double check. Everything's good close the app.

Turn off the WiFi on other phone.
The chrome cast will stop playing what ever it was you were watching and go to the screensaver
Open your youtube. Play something.

If you want to play stored content from your phone to chromecast download an app called "cast to chromecast". You will not be able to use the chromecast app itself. But any videos that you find on your chrome browser and supported chromecast apps like Netflix and Pandora. Spotify has spoticast that sends to chromecast..what ever. If it sreams and has a little tv in the corner itll work.You can't mirror your phone but the resolution sucks that way anyways. Oh wait if you connect through Google drive you can cast that content but I think it will only be a screensaver or slide show on chromecast. I don't know I never open the actual app.

Now turn everything off . now plug the chromecast back in and turn TV on it will say reconnect me or can't connect to blah blah network. Turn on hotspot. Chromecast will automatically connect to your network. Keep your WiFi off!!!!

Now just delete everything you did on that borrowed phone. Don't forget to remove it from your Google account. And change the number of users on your hotspot to 2. (Your phone counts as one and chromecast makes two) don't forget to keep your WiFi off!!!!!!