When Google released the Pixel Tablet, the first Android tablet with Google Cast built-in, many people asked me if it was possible to bring this functionality to other devices.
Turns out you can (with some caveats!)
The app you need is called, wait for It… CastReceiver, and it’s available on Google Play (thanks to @nailsad_eleos for bringing it to my attention!)
We didn’t think this app would work at first, as we were actually tinkering with the idea earlier this year but after reading this article on the Google Cast protocol thought it would be impossible without hacking Google Play Services. We ripped the cast receiver APK from an Android TV device and did get my device to appear as a cast target, but we weren’t able to get around the authentication issue described in the above article.
We are not quite sure how this app works then, but all you need to do is download it and the device that has the app installed will appear as a target in any app that supports Google Cast.
As we mentioned before, though, there are a few caveats:
1) You can’t cast DRM-protected content, so neither Netflix nor Amazon Prime Video will work. (This is because you need a valid cast key integrated into the firmware.)
2) Your device needs to be unlocked for casting to start. (This is because it can’t launch the browser activity on top of the lock screen.)
Still, though, this could be a useful app if you have an older tablet that you want to repurpose into a smart display (as I’ve done) or maybe turn an old phone with a 3.5mm jack into a Chromecast Audio.
(The app is free to download so you can test it, but if you want to stream for longer than 5 minutes, you have to unlock the app for $3.99).
