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AirPlay and Google Cast devices could all live in one iPhone menu someday
But this would be a contingent kumbaya
Just as with Google I/O, the keynote at Apple's WWDC has become something of a reverse mullet: party up front with business at the back. While we've been catching the waves on all the flashy features, there's at least one bit player in beta you should be watching out for that will let iOS reach devices supporting Google Cast in addition to AirPlay ones all on the same menu.
Google thinks it knows which speaker you'll want to Cast to
How many smart speakers do you have at home?
The ability to cast media from an Android phone feels like second nature but legalities get in the way of us taking it for granted and not every app includes it by default. The ones that do, like YouTube and YouTube Music, are very conveniently able to pass their audio, video, or both to the plethora of devices that support the protocol. Now, with a new tweak to the Cast interface, this process is getting even easier for people who have to juggle a lot of screens and speakers.
Everything you wanted to know about how Google brought Cast volume controls back to Android 12
And why speaker groups had to be disabled
We're still reeling from the fallout of the explosive decision in the lawsuit between Sonos and Google regarding patent infringement. Google immediately updated several of its devices to remove violating content, disabling volume control for speaker groups and pushing some users to update their devices using a new app on the Play Store. Days before, however, the company returned a utility initially removed in the lead-up to Android 12. If you've been wondering what's going on with Cast volume control, a new exposé is giving us an in-depth look.
Users protest Google's speaker group nerfing with hilarious post tags
"OurCustomersSureAreSuckers" and "Fraud" are just the tip of the iceberg
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Google was handed a defeat by the International Trade Commission (ITC) this week, which ruled that Google did indeed infringe on Sonos' intellectual property with its cast protocol. Luckily, basic volume controls are back in Android with the latest OTAs, but speaker groups might never be the same. The folks on Google's Nest support forums are not pleased with the changes, but it turns out Google supports user tags on its support site. You can probably see where this is going.
Google's January patch for Pixels includes the glorious return of casting volume controls
After being initially removed from Android 12
Anyone who regularly casts movies or music in their home will gladly tell you how essential volume controls are on their phone. Unfortunately, Google removed the ability to pump up your remote jams natively in Android 12, something that initially seemed like a bug before the legal truth of it all came out. A workaround was spotted in development for Android 12L, but it looks like it'll no longer be necessary.
Android 12L beta brings back Cast audio control, but not how you were hoping
This was entirely expected, by the way
Ever since it was revealed that the restriction on controlling the volume of Casted content with your device's volume keys was imposed for legal reasons, we've been waiting for a workaround to come into view. The Android 12L beta seems to have it (or at least the initial form of it).
The Android TV 12 Beta is going live, but the Chromecast with Google TV is excluded
Devs also get a brand-new Android TV emulator to play with
At Google I/O 2021, the Android TV team announced an important milestone — the platform now has 80 million monthly active devices, with more than 80% growth in the US alone. But the team isn't resting on its laurels. Instead, Google announced that the Android 12 Beta is coming to its development box today, the ADT-3, along with sharing that the current Android 11 version of the TV OS will finally be available as an emulator going forward.
Sonos could get a whole bunch of Google products banned in Germany — is the US next?
The Pixel 4a, YouTube Music, Nest speakers, and potentially more might be affected
You may have heard that Sonos and Google are involved in a dispute over patent infringement in the US, with Sonos claiming that the search company used its power to steal intellectual property when they first partnered up. The legal debate isn't limited by borders, though. Sonos also brought Google to court in Germany, where it has managed to enforce a preliminary sales ban of a whole bunch of Google products using the Cast protocol.
For most Android users, Microsoft's cloud storage will always play second fiddle to Google Drive. But those who are heavily invested in Office 365 or the Windows platform in general still want a good cloud storage app, and today the Android version of OneDrive is a little better. The latest update adds compatibility with the Chromecast and other casting devices.
Google plans to overhaul Chrome media controls to mimic Android 11 even further
Coming to desktops in the next few months
Not too long ago, Google introduced global media controls to Chrome on desktops. It adds a button with media playback controls to the right of the address bar whenever you watch or listen to content on any website. While it's already incredibly helpful in its current state, Google is looking to improve it even further, as an avid Redditor found out.
The new Chromecast with Google TV may be the future of Android in your living room, but it's also turning out to be yet another Google product plagued by software issues (I'm looking at you, Pixels). Shortly after a bug which asked users to reset their devices due to data corruption was spotted and fixed, a new one affecting Nest speaker groups is now gathering steam.
You know that short, satisfying sound that you hear when you successfully connect to a Google Smart Display or speaker? Well, Google's about to ruin it. 9to5Google has discovered that the latest Nest Hub preview firmware has a much gentler sound, and it's all sorts of wrong and confusing.
How to control Chromecast with Google TV volume using your phone
Not as straightforward as it should be
The Chromecast with Google TV isn't like your old Chromecast — it's the first to come with proper Android TV and a remote that even works with your TV or soundbar. However, that's where some problems are introduced. Depending on how you've set up the Chromecast remote, you might notice that it's become impossible to control the volume via Google Assistant or your handset when you cast from your phone. Here's what you need to know if you want to enable that functionality.
Google Meet adds baked-in Chromecast functionality for chatting on the big screen
Now your office meeting can look like a workplace sitcom
Google's new Cast Connect library might sound a bit snore, but it should make casting to Android TV devices a whole lot better. With it, developers can do a few new things, but by far the most important is that it will allow hardware remotes to control 'casted playback, and apps can open Chromecast streams remotely into the same app on your Android TV.
Chromecasts now remember the volume level after rebooting
They also no longer need to be on the same network as your phone
If you have a Chromecast, you probably know how convenient a device it is to watch your favorite content in a breeze. Although it's usually reliable, you occasionally need to reboot it, even if it's just after a software update. Unfortunately, that operation used to reset the volume's level to the maximum. Thankfully, Google just released an improvement that now makes the volume level persistent, even after rebooting the Chromecast.
Chromecast support for Xfinity Stream app now rolling out
Live in the beta program and rolling out over the coming days
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Xfinity subscribers have a reason to get excited. Nope, Comcast's still running things — sorry. But Chromecast support for Xfinity streaming content is now rolling out. It's already live on the web, and now it has started rolling out via a beta program update for the Android app as well. Chromecast streaming even works for live TV.
Chromecast audio streams can now play in the background on Android TV (APK download)
No more interruptions if you go back to your homescreen
Earlier this month, an update to the Chromecast built-in app on Android TV finally brought with it speaker grouping, but it was removed soon after. It turns out this update introduced another feature that went unnoticed until 9to5Google spotted it: Chromecast audio streams no longer need to remain in the foreground to keep playing, they now support background playback.
With so many different Chromecasts, Rokus, Apple TVs, and other video streaming devices on the market, simply streaming a video from your phone to your TV isn't as straight forward as it should be. To make sense of the chaos, InstantBits designed a universal video streaming app that can play videos on most of the televisions in your home, regardless of the receiver or OS that powers them. Here's everything you need to know about Web Video Caster, the top-rated web browser for streaming videos to TV.
Fix rolling out for errant Android TV casting notifications (Updated)
Watching non-casted content in Android TV apps can trigger the notifications
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If you noticed a superfluous casting notification last night while watching content via Android TV, it turns out, that's a thing right now. Some folks are getting cast/Chromecast media control notifications on their phones when watching content in apps on their Android TV devices (including the Nvidia Shield), even when they aren't actually casting anything. Just turning on a show via Plex or Netflix via the Android TV app is triggering casting controls for some. But Google is already working on a fix.