It’s shaping up to be a big year for Chromecast. At CES today, Google announced a bunch of Chromecast updates, including new device and app compatibility. Possibly most exciting is a feature Google’s called Tap to Cast, which will let you transfer your music stream from your Pixel phone to your Pixel Tablet just by bringing the two near each other.
Tap to Cast is coming to Pixel Tablet
Tap to Cast is coming to Google hardware sometime this year. Google says the feature will let you transfer music streams from Spotify or YouTube Music “from your compatible Pixel phone” (that’s a Pixel 6 Pro or newer, including the Pixel Fold) to a docked Pixel Tablet when the two are near each other, without having to dig into the Chromecast menu on your phone.
We’ve known this feature has been in development for a while. Back in August, Mishaal Rahman turned up evidence of an upcoming feature then called “Hold close to cast,” which would let you “reach your phone toward a Pixel Tablet to cast media.” The feature sounds more than a little like parts of Apple’sHandoff, which similarly lets you transfer music streams from iPhone toHomePodby bringing the two near each other.
We got to try the feature at CES, and it works surprisingly well: with the devices within a few inches of each other, the transfer happens very quickly, accompanied by a nice bit of haptic feedback. Despite the graphic you see above, this feature actually isn’t headed to the Nest Hub yet — it’s only been confirmed for the Pixel Tablet. A Google rep at CES told me it’s likely the feature will make its way to Google’s smart displays eventually, but there’s no timeline for that yet.
New compatibility: LG TVs and TikTok
Google’s also announced that Chromecast built-in is expanding to TVs from LG. The company’s 2024 smart TVs will be compatible with Chromecast, and later this year, Google says that Chromecast built-in will make its way to LG TVs in hospitals and hotels.
TikTok is also getting Chromecast support this year, meaning you’ll be able to stream videos from the app to Chromecast-compatible screens. Google also says that you’ll be able to cast live videos from TikTok “soon.” Short-form, portrait-orientation videos made to be watched on phones seem like an odd fit for big-screen viewing, but it could feasibly come in handy if you want to show a specific TikTok to a whole room of people.
These features are all coming this year. Taken withFast Pair finally hitting Chomecast with Google TV hardware, it’s a suprisingly exciting time to be a Chromecast fan. (Now if only we could getsome new hardware.)
Google Pixel Tablet
Google’s Pixel Tablet uses its bundled charging dock to pull double duty as a smart display. Starting this year, you’ll be able to transfer Spotify and YouTube Music streams from your Pixel phone to the docked Pixel Tablet just by bringing the two devices near each other.
