What a great invention the Google Chromecast is, isn’t it? It nicely mirrors your display to another device of your choice so that you experience seamless viewing on any device that you want. You can mirror the display on to any device – Android, iPhone, Windows, MacBook, Chromebook, and more.
We already know this about Chromecast, though. What many don’t know is that we can use Chromecast as a second monitor! Just by taking care of a few settings we can extend the screen of the desktop into the second monitor and amplify our experience!
Let’s talk about how to extend the desktop in Windows 10 as well as in Mac:
How to Use Chromecast as a Second Monitor in Windows 10
- Go to the Settings from the Start menu.
- Here you will see the System option, below which you have Display, Notifications, Apps, and Power.
- Enter the Display setting.
- Once the tab opens, click on Detect and click on the Blue Screen that you see. You may notice that it says Display not detected but that’s okay.
- Scroll and in Multiple Displays, choose Try to connect anyway on VGA in the drop-down box.
- Now choose the second display and in the drop-down, choose Extend these displays.
- Click Apply.
- After this, you will be asked if you want to freeze on these settings.
- Press Keep Changes.
The setup is all done now. You need to open Google Chrome on your desktop. On the upper-right corner, you will see the Chromecast option. Now choose Cast Screen/Window. Choose display number 2 for this. That’s about it! You have successfully made your desktop think that we have two screens!
Note that even though these settings are for Windows 10, you can follow the same steps for Windows 8. They are more or less the same.
Use Chromecast on a Window 10 desktop – after the latest Windows update
If you have updated your Windows, you may not be able to follow the aforementioned steps. A few things have changed thanks to this massive update. Luckily, you still have an option to extend your desktop with a Chromecast and here are the steps:
1. Make sure that all the required cables are connected properly. Your monitors need to be connected, of course.
2. Press the Windows Key and P simultaneously to directly choose how to display your desktop.
3. If you want to explore more options, right-click on your Desktop and choose Display Settings.
4. Here, you will see all the options of monitors available. If you don’t see your new monitors, click on Detect.
5. Go to the Multiple Displays option and select the right option from the list that appears when you click on it. Then choose to Extend Desktop.
6. After this, choose Keep Changes and scroll up to adjust the resolution. The recommended setting is the best, but if you want to make changes, feel free.
7. Click on Keep Changes again.
You are done!
Use Chromecast as second monitor on Mac
Make sure you have the latest version of Google Chrome downloaded and installed on your Mac. You will automatically have Chromecast support for it. Now, do the following:
- On the upper-right corner of the browser, you will see the Google Chromecast icon.
- Click on it to open the Cast to box.
- Here you will see a drop-down arrow. Click on it and choose the Cast Desktop option.
- You will be navigated to the Chromecast box again.
- Here, you must now select your Chromecast Device. You may see an error here saying it can’t mirror system audio. Soon you will see a pop-up that asks for permission for the Chrome Media Router to share the screen. Choose Yes.
- That’s about it!
The only catch here is that you won’t be able to listen to the audio from both devices. It will only come from your Mac, but that should be okay. It won’t make much of a difference anyway. The idea is to ensure that the desktop is extended for seamless viewing and this process helps with that seamlessly.
People also ask
Let’s take a look at the common doubts users have about Chromecast and second monitors.
1) Can I use Chromecast as a second monitor on Windows 10 2020?
Yes, you can.
2) Can I mirror my PC screen with Chromecast?
Yes, you can cast your PC screen with Chromecast. All you have to do is to open Chrome and Click on Cast. You will get a list of available devices. Click on the device you want to cast it to.
3) Can you split screen with Chromecast?
Yes, you can split the screen with Chromecast but you may need a third-party application to do so.
4) Why can’t I cast my desktop on Chromecast?
There could be multiple reasons behind this:
- The Chromecast device and computer are not on the same Wi-Fi network
- There are compatibility issues
- There could be a problem with the Chromecast
5) Why is my TV not showing up to cast?
The most common reason behind this is that the TV and the device are on different networks. Make sure they are on the same Wi-Fi network and try again.
6) Can I use Chromecast with Zoom meeting?
Yes, you can. You can get Zoom on TV with ease.
With just a few extra steps you can use your Chromecast as a second monitor and double your viewing experience – literally!
Did you face any issues while following these steps? Please share your experience.
As of the latest, big update for Windows 10, this options seems to be void. Any other ideas?
Hello, I am unable to see the box for the option to select the VGA port while using a windows computer. Do you have any additional information on where this box may be located or why it is not visible to me?
It seems that it doesn’t work on mac anymore
This process used to work but has not worked since the Windows 10 Update that was rolled out around April 2018. It fails at item 4. “Once the tab opens, click on Detect and click on the Blue Screen that you see. You may notice that it says Display not detected but that’s okay.”
The Detect button does nothing, has no effect, goes nowhere it certainly does not bring up the second screen configuration options mentioned in item 5. and following. If you know any way of getting this to work after the April 2018 update I would appreciate it.
Hi,
If i click detect in the settings I don’t see anything new, like display not detected or a blue screen. What can I do so I do see this?
Thanks
Greeting,
Ruben
the step Number 5 Scroll and in Multiple Displays, choose Try to connect anyway on VGA in the drop-down box.
I can’t on my computer W10
In step Number 5, I can’t see on my computer W10
is there a way to do this when you already have 2 monitors and want to use chromecast as a third one?