New Chromecast guest mode plays nicely with others’ Android devices

BY GreenBot Staff

Published 11 Dec 2014

Thanks to the latest Chromecast tweak, you no longer need to give out your -Fi password if a house guest wants to share the latest hit YouTube video on your TV.

th the new Guest mode, you can open your Chromecast’s digital gates to your friends’ family’s Android devices. Once you do, they’ll be able to stream a movie, TV show, or video from one of the growing number of Chromecast-friendly apps without the need to join your -Fi network. 

Once guest mode is turned on, the Chromecast emits a -Fi beacon that other devices can find when looking to cast a video. If an app doesn’t connect automatically, there’s a four-digit N on screen that you’ll need to type in. After doing this, all your cat videos or Netflix favorites can be shared on the bigger screen.

You can turn off guest mode when the party’s over, so neighbors can’t hijack your Chromecast send you annoying videos. 

first announced this feature in ne at I/0, so we’re glad to finally see it make its way into the real world. It doesn’t require an update, so check out your Chromecast app it might already be there.

The impact on you: You no longer need to worry about network security, because you don’t need to h out your -Fi password to enable anyone to share a video on your TV.