Google today announced a minor change but it’s an important one which reflects how it’s casting technology has progressed over the past couple of years. The company has renamed its Chromecast app to Google Cast to better reflect that the Cast technology is now supported across a variety of devices including but not limited to TVs, displays, speakers and the Chromecast dongle.
Chromecast arrived back in 2013 as an alternative to more expensive streaming boxes like Apple TV and Roku. It’s an HDMI dongle so users can easily cast content to the big screen if it isn’t a smart TV, all it needs to have is an HDMI port.
The company has always called the technology behind Chromecast Google Cast. It debuted with the Chromecast dongle which is no longer the only device that supports the protocol. Therefore, it makes perfect sense for Google to make this change however minor it may seem.
The new renamed Google Cast app is going to be released on the App Store and the Google Play Store later this week, it will be available for both iOS and Android devices right away. The apps make it easier to cast content like audio and video to supported devices.
In line with this change, Google has also launched an updated Google Cast website which now features a list of products that come with the casting technology built in.