Chromecast

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Chromecast icon not showing up: here are the solutions

Written by:

Wesley Akkerman

All content is written by smart home experts, not AI and robots.

The Chromecast icon does not appear. And now? Fortunately, it is not too complicated a task to get that icon back into view. With a few simple steps, the problem can be solved and you can continue watching a film or series.

It can be an annoying situation. You want to check a new episode of your favorite series, open an app like Netflix or Disney+ to turn on the stream and that's it: it Chromecast icon does not appear. That means you can't start casting.

The cast button

The icon for Chromecast can be recognized by the box with three dashes on the left. Those lines are at the bottom left. The icon is reminiscent of a television screen with WiFi stripes. So if you don't know what you're looking for, you now have a better idea.

Fortunately, the casting itself is very simple. When both a smartphone, tablet or PC (i.e. the source device) is on the same network as the Chromecast, then press the button and select the Chromecast which is in the TV. Casting then proceeds all by itself.

Unfortunately, the button is not in the same place everywhere. In many cases, it is placed at the top right. That is in the case of video streaming services. If you want to cast from a music streaming service, such as Spotify, the button is a bit better hidden. It Chromecast icon does not appear? Maybe it's just well hidden.

Chromecast icon does not appear

But what if you don't see that button at all and really can't find it anywhere? That is annoying, but fortunately not too big a problem. One of the main causes of this problem is that both devices are not on the same network, so the feature is not available at all.

Is that the case? Then make sure that the source device is on the same WiFi network as the Chromecast, or vice versa of course. It can already help to quickly change the WiFi settings of the Chromecast otherwise you have to change the settings of your smartphone, tablet or check pc.

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If this does not solve the problem and you are sure that both devices are on the same network, there may be something else going on. What you can do is unplug the router for a while. Wait a few seconds and then plug it back in. Give the devices a few moments to reconnect and then just try again.

Another solution may be to restart the apps in question, which you use on your smartphone or tablet, for example. Close them completely and then restart them. If that's not the solution either, then maybe you should Chromecast reboot once in a while.

Reboot and reset

You can do this via the Google Home app by following the steps below.

  1. Open the Google Home application on your smartphone or tablet
  2. Now tap the Chromecast that you want to reset; in our case that is the Chromecast Incredibly
  3. Tap the gear icon at the top right
  4. Now tap on the three dots (that menu is called More)
  5. Now tap Restart.

Another faster method is to simply download the Chromecast from the HDMI port and remove the plug from the socket.

Chromecast reset
Image: Wesley Akkerman

A more rigorous solution is the Chromecast reset to factory settings. In principle, this can't hurt, because you reset everything completely at that moment. You set the Chromecast as if it were a new device, connecting to the network for the first time.

  1. Open the Google Home application on your smartphone or tablet
  2. Now tap the Chromecast that you want to reset; in our case that is the Chromecast Incredibly
  3. Tap the gear icon at the top right
  4. Now tap on the three dots (that menu is called More)
  5. Select the Factory data reset option
  6. Now press the blue Reset to factory settings button at the bottom right

Please note that the Chromecast and the smartphone, which contains the Google Home app, must be connected to the same network to achieve this. There are also other options regarding a full reset; that's how you can do that too a physical button arrange for.

The Google Home is downloadable for both Android (via the Google Play Store) as iOS (via the App Store). Incidentally, you may encounter other problems with you Chromecastmaking communication difficult. That's how you solve those problems.

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Writing about technology since 2006. Whether it's the Chromecast, Chromebook or Google Home, he doesn't turn his hand around for it.

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