As a tech enthusiast constantly seeking out ways to make life easier, I was delighted to discover a way to use my iPhone to cast content directly to my laptop! I remember being frustrated after searching for a solution to casting content from my iPhone to my laptop, only to be left with more questions than answers.
After countless hours of research, I am proud to share what I have learned about how to Chromecast from iPhone to a laptop. In this post, I’m going to provide step-by-step instructions and helpful tips to make sure you get the most out of your experience.
Ideally, Chromecast functionality is pretty limited outside of Android devices. However, you can still stream or cast your iPhone to a laptop easily using various 3rd party apps. Luckily, many of them are actually free and easy to use!
| Tips |
|---|
| Chromecast has limited functionality with iPhones, but AirPlay technology allows direct casting to Apple devices. |
| Third-party apps can be used to cast an iPhone to a laptop, many of which are free and easy to use. |
| To cast to a Windows laptop, download and install a casting app on both the laptop and iPhone, then set the laptop as a receiver in the iPhone app. |
| To cast to a Mac laptop, open the command center on the iPhone, select “Screen Mirroring”, and choose the Mac laptop. |
Table of Contents
How Does Chromecast Work?
Chromecast is a streaming adapter that is specifically designed to let you stream media and other online content on your HDTV.
Since Chromecast is quite affordable and pretty much a one-time purchase, it saves you the hassle and extra costs of buying a smart TV that can stream natively.
To use Chromecast, you simply plug the dongle into the HDMI port in your TV, then connect the dongle to any USB port (including the ones in the TV) to power the device.
Can I Chromecast from iPhone to Laptop?
As previously mentioned, Chromecast is specifically designed to cast the content of your devices, whether they’re laptops or phones, directly to your HDTV that lacks a native mirroring feature.
One thing you should know here is that Chromecast is specifically designed for android devices, so it may have some limited functionality when it comes to iPhones.
Alternatively, iPhones and other Apple devices use the AirPlay technology in order to cast media and stream your iPhone screen on a laptop.
In other words, you can use the Chromecast dongle to cast your iPhone screen to your laptop, but it’s not really necessary like when you cast your laptop screen to your TV.
Also, the laptop screen can’t work on the receiver end with Chromecast without Chromecast emulation, which is pretty difficult and unstable.
This doesn’t mean that you’re out of luck if you want to cast your iPhone to a laptop. In fact, you can even do it without having a Chromecast device connected to your laptop, and we’ll show you how to easily do it in the following section!
How to Cast My iPhone to Laptop
In this section, we’ll walk you through a brief tutorial on how to cast your iPhone to laptop screens. This can work with both Windows and Mac laptops.
Whether you’re connecting to a mac or windows laptop, there are some essential steps that you need to do before continuing this guide.
For starters, make sure that both your iPhone and laptop are connected to the same WiFi network as your Laptop, as this method won’t work otherwise.
1. iPhone to Windows Laptop
For this tutorial, you only need a modern windows 10 laptop with functional WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities, with or without Chromecast. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Download and Install a Casting App on Your Laptop and Phone
First, you’ll need to install a reviver app on your laptop. There are plenty of good casting apps out there, so you can go with the one that suits you the best. Some of the best options to consider are:
The features of each individual app may differ, although many of them will get the job done when it comes to casting. Luckily, the installation process of any of these receiver apps is pretty much the same.
Simply follow the instructions and have the app installed on your laptop and remember to allow access to your firewall if you’re prompted with a security alert. Similarly, download and install the iOS version of the app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Open the iPhone App to Set Your Laptop as a Receiver
When you open the iPhone app, it’ll ask your permission to find and connect to other devices on your network.
Hit “Ok”, and you’ll be prompted with a screen to choose your casting device. There, you should select your laptop, and choose mirroring from your iPhone.
Step 3: Activate Screen Mirroring on Your iPhone
With everything ready, all that’s left is to open the control center in your iPhone and choose screen mirroring.
You should then choose the option with the app’s name next to it. You should then be able to cast your iPhone to the Laptop!
2. iPhone to Mac Laptop
As previously mentioned, Macs are equipped with AirPlay technology, which allows you to cast your iPhone to Apple devices directly.
To do that, simply open your command center, and hit “screen mirroring”. You should then find your mac on the list, and it’ll start casting immediately after tapping it.
Wrap Up
There you have it! A brief guide with everything you need to know about casting your iPhone screen using Chromecast.
As you can see, you may not be able to use Chromecast to mirror your iPhone to your laptop, but luckily, you can still cast your iPhone screen to a laptop using other apps and without needing special devices.
Read more: Fire TV white screen
Pros casting iPhone to laptop
- Simple and fast setup
- Wide range of compatible apps
- No need for a special device
- Allows for streaming of online content
Cons of casting iPhone to laptop
- Limited functionality with Chromecast
- AirPlay technology only works with Apple devices
- Lack of native mirroring on some laptops
- Potential for compatibility issues with some apps
