Make the most of the Android phone you have in your drawer: turn it into a Chromecast

You can get a lot of use out of an old Android phone: it can be a baby monitor, a TV remote, a photo frame and also can be converted into a homemade Chromecastif it meets certain conditions.

We explain how you can convert old mobile to Chromecast and what you need to do it. Chromecasts are pretty cheap, sure, but this tip can serve as a temporary solution or patch at a specific time.

What are you going to need?

First of all, how are you going to convert your phone to Chromecast? After all, these are two devices that bear little or no resemblance. The most important thing is that you will need Can be connected to TV with HDMI cable. For this, you will need a USB-C to HDMI OTG cable.

Of course, before you start purchasing said cable, keep in mind that Not all mobile phones support HDMI output. You need mobile to support MHL, a standard that a few years ago seemed like it would take over the world and today is largely absent. You will find it mainly in high-end mobile phones, although it will be difficult to be sure without trying it with the current cable.

There are applications for check if your mobile supports the MHL standard. They are not completely reliable, but they can help you get an idea. Unfortunately, the list of supported MHL devices is very outdated and this information is rarely mentioned in the mobile datasheet. If in doubt, you can always do a Google search to see if your mobile model supports MHL.

If your mobile supports MHL, then you will need the cable. You need a USB-C to HDMI cable (or Micro USB to HDMI, if your phone has such a connector). These types of cables are relatively inexpensive and you can find simple ones for around $13 on Amazon.

Finally, you are missing the software part. For this you must install the Cast Receiver app on the mobile that you are going to use as Chromecast. You can try the application for free with its trial version which limits sessions to a maximum of 5 minutes, but if you want to use it without limitations, you will have to purchase the premium version: it costs 4.59 dollars.

In summary, this is what you need to convert an old cell phone you have at home into a homemade Chromecast. Knowing that a new Chromecast costs around 70 dollars, it already has Google TV and saves you the hassle, it’s more about doing it for the love of science than saving a lot of money in the matter, although it will be cheaper if, for example, you already have cable at home.

• A mobile with Android 4.1 or higher
• Whether the mobile phone supports the MHL standard
• A USB (USB-C or Micro USB) to HDMI cable
• Install the Cast Receiver app on your mobile

First, connect it to the TV

If everything is ready, the simplest thing is connect the mobile to the TV with the cable. You connect the USB-C or MicroUSB end to your phone and the end with HDMI to an HDMI input on the TV. Next, configure the TV to display said HDMI input.

If everything went well and your mobile supports video output, then you will see your cell phone on TV. Depending on your mobile, it may be exactly the same or a special version with some type of “desktop mode” will be projected.

Then turn it into Chromecast

The next step is very simple, install the Cast Receiver application on your mobile. The application is very simple because you don’t have to do anything other than open it. If you enter its options, you can choose the name of your “chromecast”. If you do nothing, the model name is used.

From this moment on, your secondary mobile will behave like a Chromecast, so you can connect to it from any other device and send you content. Since it is connected to the TV with the cable, what you send will also be visible on the TV.

Keep in mind that this won’t work for you. with protected content which has DRM, but otherwise it should work as a homemade Chromecast around the house to turn your “dumb” TV into a smart TV.

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