Google rebrands Chromecast App as Google Cast

By Julian Chokkattu March 22, 2016

Chromecast — Jeffrey Van Camp/Digital Trends

It’s been nearly three years since Google unveiled the widely-popular Chromecast, a cheap little dongle you plug into the HDMI port on your TV to cast content from apps like Netflix and YouTube.

Last year, Google offered a redesigned version of the device that also came with compatibility for 802.11ac and 5GHz access points, but the search giant went a step further by also releasing Chromecast Audio, a similar-looking device that plugs into speakers, allowing people to cast music to them. The related Cast technology was also extended to Android TVs and game consoles, and the app was also revamped with more features, including voice-activated search.

Recommended Videos

Given the varying use cases for the Chromecast and Google’s cast technology that are continually expanding, the Mountain View company has decided to rebrand the Chromecast app as Google Cast, announced in a blog post. The move comes after Google revealed that its cast technology is now available in Vizio’s SmartCast P-Series displays, soundbars, and speakers. You can read our hands-on review of Vizio’s latest TV lineup here.

“We’re also changing the name of the Chromecast app to Google Cast app, to better reflect that Google Cast technology is now supported across a wide range of devices such as Chromecast, TVs, displays and speakers,” the company wrote. “The Google Cast app makes it easy for you to discover great stuff to watch, find more apps, customize backdrop, and more.”

There’s even a new Google Cast website that offers details on what devices use Google’s technology, and it also sort of acts as a third-party app store that lets people discover apps that have Cast support. Once you find an app you want to download, the site lets you choose between the Google Play Store or iTunes, or even the app’s website, to get more information.

You’ll be seeing the name change in your app soon, as the update is rolling out this week for Android and iOS.

Topics

Julian Chokkattu

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…

Mobile

I’ve used an iPhone for 14 years. The Pixel Fold made me want to stop

Google Pixel Fold in Obsidian open on Pixar Pier portrait mode.

When Steve Jobs took the stage on January 9, 2007, to unveil the original iPhone, everyone was amazed at the little piece of technology he held in his hand. Then in June 2007, people could buy and get their hands on the very first iPhone — and the scope of the cell phone industry changed forever.

I personally didn't get the original iPhone on launch day, believe it or not. Instead, I received it as a birthday present in 2008 (my very first Apple product), but my clumsy self eventually dropped it on cement four months later, and the screen shattered. But instead of getting it fixed, I figured I might as well just get the iPhone 3G since it was just a few weeks away from release.

Mobile

Something strange is happening with my Google Pixel Fold

Google Pixel Fold in Obsidian open on Google News.

Google’s first foldable, the Google Pixel Fold, is now available for everyone. Even though Google is a few years late to the game compared to other brands like Samsung, it’s better late than never, right?

The Google Pixel Fold has received mostly positive reviews, including our own. But like any other foldable, it’s not without some issues. Since there are moving parts with foldable devices, there are more points of failure than a simple slab-style smartphone, especially as this category is still only in its infancy.

Mobile

Forget the Pixel 8 Pro — this app already has its coolest feature

FeverPhone mobile app creator posing with the app on a phone.

Google is eyeing a piece of the health market with the upcoming Pixel 8 Pro, thanks to a temperature sensor that would reportedly let users sense fever symptoms. Unlike the ill-fated Soli radar sensor on the Pixel 4 series, this one makes sense. Keeping an eye on your body temperature, especially the fluctuations, is crucial as abnormal spikes or drops can be a sign of serious body system malfunctions and diseases.

As such, there’s no dearth of mobile apps that let users keep track of their body temperature and create a long-term log that can be useful during medical consultations. However, smartphones can’t reliably measure body temperature because they lack a dedicated sensor to do so based on the usual skin contact method. But soon, an app would do the job on almost every modern Android phone out there instead of keeping the perk exclusive to Google’s next pricey flagship.