XDA-Developers published a piece this week on what to do with an old Chromecast dongle instead of leaving it in a drawer, and the timing lines up with a lot of upgrade cycles. Google’s newer Google TV Streamer has been pushing owners of the 2018 Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra to shelve their old dongles for a couple of years now, but the hardware still casts fine. The chip inside is slow by today’s standards, and neither model gets new features anymore, but as a dumb receiver for audio and video from a phone, it still works exactly as well as it did on day one. We tested eight Android apps that turn a retired Chromecast into a media server client, an ambient photo frame, or a wireless speaker, and ranked them by what they actually add over the stock cast button.
What to look for in an app for an old Chromecast
A few things matter more once the Chromecast is the only screen in a room and not backed up by a smart remote.
- Cast reliability across a shaky Wi-Fi connection, so playback recovers automatically instead of needing a manual reconnect.
- Background casting that keeps audio playing after the phone screen turns off.
- Local file support for movies and photos stored on a NAS or home server, not just streaming-service content.
- Ambient mode customization for what shows on screen when nothing is casting.
- Cross-platform support if anyone else in the house casts from an iPhone.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Home | Basic cast setup and ambient mode | Android, iOS | Yes | Free |
| Plex | Casting a personal movie and TV library | Android, iOS, Web | Yes | Free, Plex Pass from about $5/mo |
| Jellyfin | Self-hosted libraries without a subscription | Android, iOS, Web | Yes | Free |
| Web Video Cast | Casting from any browser page or IPTV stream | Android, iOS | Yes | Free, Pro about $4 one-time |
| LocalCast | Local files, DLNA, NAS, and cloud storage | Android, iOS | Yes | Free, Pro about $5 one-time |
| Google Photos | Ambient photo frame mode | Android, iOS, Web | Yes | Free, storage plans from about $2/mo |
| Spotify | Wireless speaker via Chromecast Audio or a cast soundbar | Android, iOS, Web | Yes (ad-supported) | About $12/mo |
| YouTube Music | Wireless speaker for a YouTube Music library | Android, iOS, Web | Yes (ad-supported) | About $11/mo |
The apps
1. Google Home, Best for basic cast setup and ambient mode
Google Home is the app that actually owns the Chromecast, and it is the only place to rename the device, set up ambient mode wallpapers, and check whether the dongle still qualifies for a security update. It also handles guest casting permissions, which decide whether visitors can throw content at the TV without joining the Wi-Fi network. Most other apps on this list assume the Chromecast is already set up through Google Home first.
Where it falls short: The ambient mode picker is limited to a handful of curated categories and Google Photos albums, not arbitrary folders.
Pricing: Free.
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Every other app on this list assumes Google Home did the initial setup, so start here.
2. Plex, Best for casting a personal movie and TV library
Plex turns a home server or even a laptop into a media source the Chromecast can pull from, complete with posters, episode tracking, and automatic transcoding for files the dongle’s chip cannot decode natively. Casting from the Plex app to an old Chromecast is close to instant once the server is indexed, and playback resumes from wherever a phone or another TV left off. It is the closest an old Chromecast gets to running its own streaming-service interface.
Where it falls short: Setting up the server side takes real effort, and remote access outside the home network needs a Plex Pass on some networks.
Pricing:
- Free: Yes, full local streaming
- Paid: Plex Pass from about $5/mo for remote features and hardware transcoding
Platforms: Android, iOS, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The best option for casting a real personal library instead of paying for access to one.
3. Jellyfin, Best for self-hosted libraries without a subscription
Jellyfin is the open-source alternative to Plex, built by developers who forked the project specifically to keep it free of accounts and paid tiers. It casts to a Chromecast the same way Plex does, reading a library off a home server, and it supports the same kind of metadata scraping and episode tracking. Everything runs on hardware the owner controls, with no company able to change the pricing later.
Where it falls short: Setup assumes more comfort with self-hosting than Plex does, and hardware transcoding needs a capable server.
Pricing: Free.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Pick Jellyfin over Plex if avoiding a subscription matters more than convenience.
4. Web Video Cast, Best for casting from any browser page or IPTV stream
Web Video Cast casts video straight from a browser tab, an IPTV playlist, or a direct video link, without needing the source to have its own Chromecast support built in. It handles subtitle files, multiple audio tracks, and most common video formats, converting on the fly when the Chromecast can’t decode something natively. For sites and streams that never added a cast button, this is often the only way to get them on the big screen.
Where it falls short: Converting unsupported formats drains the phone’s battery fast, and some DRM-protected sites block casting entirely.
Pricing:
- Free: Yes, with ads and a watermark on converted video
- Paid: Pro version about $4 one-time to remove both
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The fallback for anything that doesn’t have its own cast button.
5. LocalCast, Best for local files, DLNA, NAS, and cloud storage
LocalCast pulls video, photos, and audio from a phone’s local storage, a DLNA server, a NAS share, or cloud storage accounts, and sends any of it to the Chromecast without needing a dedicated media server running first. It works well for one-off files that never got imported into Plex or Jellyfin, and the folder browser makes finding a specific file on a NAS straightforward.
Where it falls short: The interface looks dated next to Plex or Jellyfin, and some codecs still need the paid tier to play back reliably.
Pricing:
- Free: Yes, with limits on some formats
- Paid: Pro version about $5 one-time
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Useful for casting files that don’t live in a proper media library.
6. Google Photos, Best for turning the Chromecast into an ambient photo frame
Google Photos feeds directly into the Chromecast’s ambient mode once a specific album is selected in Google Home, cycling through photos when nothing else is casting. It is the simplest way to turn an idle TV into a photo frame, showing years of camera roll instead of a blank standby screen or a generic wallpaper pack. Shared albums work too, so photos from a family member’s account can rotate in as well.
Where it falls short: This only works through ambient mode configured in Google Home, and there’s no way to schedule which album shows at which time of day.
Pricing: Free, with paid storage plans starting around $2/mo once the free tier fills up.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Web
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The easiest way to get a real photo frame out of a device that otherwise sits idle.
7. Spotify, Best for a wireless speaker setup
Spotify casts audio to a Chromecast Audio dongle or to any soundbar or speaker with Chromecast built in, and it keeps playing even after the phone locks. Multi-room grouping works if there’s more than one cast-enabled speaker in the house, and the app remembers the last device used so reconnecting takes one tap. For a Chromecast Audio pulled out of a drawer, this turns it back into a dedicated wireless speaker.
Where it falls short: The free tier plays shuffled and ad-supported on mobile, which limits its use as a background music source.
Pricing:
- Free: Yes, ad-supported with shuffle-only playback on mobile
- Paid: About $12/mo for on-demand playback
Platforms: Android, iOS, Web
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The default pick for anyone already paying for Spotify.
8. YouTube Music, Best for a wireless speaker using a YouTube Music library
YouTube Music does the same job as Spotify for anyone whose library or playlists live there instead, casting to a Chromecast Audio or a cast-enabled speaker with background playback that survives a locked screen. It also pulls in music videos and live performances that never got an official audio release, which Spotify’s catalogue often lacks.
Where it falls short: The free tier requires the screen to stay on for playback to continue, unlike Spotify’s background audio on free accounts.
Pricing:
- Free: Yes, with ads and a screen-on requirement
- Paid: About $11/mo for background playback and no ads
Platforms: Android, iOS, Web
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Pick this over Spotify only if the music library already lives on YouTube.
How to pick the right one
Start with Google Home no matter what else gets installed. It owns the device pairing and the ambient mode settings every other app depends on. If there’s a home server or NAS with a real movie collection, Plex or Jellyfin turn the Chromecast into a client for it, and the choice between them comes down to whether a subscription for remote access is worth paying for.
For anything that lives outside a proper library, whether that’s a browser video with no cast button or a random file sitting on a phone, Web Video Cast and LocalCast cover different corners of that gap. If the Chromecast mostly sits idle in a bedroom or hallway, Google Photos makes it earn its keep as a photo frame. And if what’s left in the drawer is specifically a Chromecast Audio, Spotify or YouTube Music turns it into a wireless speaker, picked by whichever library already has the music.
FAQ
Can I still use my old Chromecast in 2026?
Yes. The 2018 Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra no longer receive new features, but casting itself still works fine over Wi-Fi. Google has not disabled the hardware, and most casting apps still support both models.
What can I cast to Chromecast from Android?
Anything with a cast button built in, plus local files, NAS shares, and browser video through apps like LocalCast and Web Video Cast. Photos, music, and personal media libraries through Plex or Jellyfin also cast without needing native support from the source app.
Is Google Home the only app that sets up a Chromecast?
Yes, for initial pairing and ambient mode configuration. Once a Chromecast is set up through Google Home, other apps like Plex, Spotify, or LocalCast can cast to it directly without going through Google Home again.
Can I use a Chromecast as a wireless speaker?
Yes, if it’s a Chromecast Audio model or the Chromecast is plugged into a soundbar or receiver with an audio input. Apps like Spotify and YouTube Music cast audio only and keep playing after the phone screen locks.
Which streaming apps still support old Chromecast in 2026?
Most major apps, including Spotify, YouTube Music, Plex, and Jellyfin, still support casting to first-generation and 2018 Chromecast hardware. A few newer apps have started requiring Google TV Streamer or a Chromecast with Google TV for some interactive features, but basic casting remains widely supported.
