Chromecast says 'Can't cast' or does not appear in my list

When you tap the cast icon and your Chromecast does not appear, or you see a message such as "Can't cast", it is nearly always a network problem. The phone or laptop and the Chromecast must be on the same Wi-Fi. Apps change their wording and menus from time to time, so what you see may differ slightly from the steps below.

Check these first

1. Is the Chromecast powered on and showing a picture on the TV, with the right HDMI input selected?
2. Is your phone or laptop on the same Wi-Fi network? Many routers have two networks (for example "Home" and "Home-5G"). Casting may fail if the two devices are on different ones.
3. Is a VPN or "guest Wi-Fi" in use on your phone or laptop? These can stop the Chromecast being found. Switch the VPN off for a test.

Simple fixes

1. Turn off the Wi-Fi on your phone or laptop, wait a few seconds and turn it on again.
2. Unplug the Chromecast power for 30 seconds and plug it back in.
3. Restart the router: switch off, wait a minute and switch on, then wait about five minutes.
4. Close the app you are casting from and try again. Make sure the app is up to date.

Permissions

• iPhone: in Settings, open the cast-capable app (or the Google Home app) and check Local Network is switched on. Without it, the phone cannot find the Chromecast.
• Android: make sure the Google Home app has the permission it asks for to find nearby devices.

Other causes

• The Chromecast is far from the router and has a weak signal.
• Your router has a feature that stops devices talking to each other, sometimes called "AP isolation" or "client isolation". Changing router settings can be tricky, so ask for help before changing it.

When to get more help

Get help if the Chromecast is never found by any phone or laptop, or if it was working and suddenly stopped after a new router was fitted. Do not factory reset it unless advised, as it wipes all settings.