We are going to explain to you how to watch a Google Drive video on TV with your Chromecast. The Google cloud application does not allow you to see your own files on TV, so you will have to pull third-party applications to perform this functionality. There are many options, but we are going to tell you the two simplest for less advanced users.
Let’s start by explaining how to send Drive videos to your Chromecast using VLC. It is something you can do from Google Drive itself, although it needs you to download the video you want to see first on the device. Then, we will continue with another alternative with which you can do almost the same but without having to locally download the video that you already have in your cloud. You can also connect your mobile to TV.
From Google Drive to Chromecast with VLC
The first thing you have to do is install VLC on your mobile, and open Google Drive and go to the folder where you have the videos within the Google cloud. Once you have signed in, click on the icon of the three dots in the video you want to send to the Chromecast for related options.
A contextual menu will open in which you will see various actions that you can perform with the video. In this menu, click on the option Open with to start the process of opening the video in a third-party application. The first thing Drive will do to do this is download the video to your mobile.
When the file download is finished, the default share menu of your mobile will appear. In this menu, choose the VLC app or another that is compatible with the Google Cast option to open the downloaded video.
And that’s it. Once you are playing the video in VLC or other compatible application, click on the send to Chromecast button that will appear in the main interface. You will go to the menu where you have to choose the Chromecast or compatible device that you want to use, and by choosing it you will be able to start sending the video.
From Google Drive to Chromecast with LocalCast
And as a second option we are going to use LocalCast, an application available for Android in Google Play and for iOS in the App Store. It is an app created to send local content from your mobile to the Chromecast, although it also allows you to connect to Google Drive or Dropbox to send content from there. Of course, the free version is full of advertising.
Once the application is open, open the side menu and click on the Google Drive option that appears in the Cloud category. If this is your first time using the app, this will launch the process to sync your Drive account in the app.
When starting the synchronization process, LocalCast will ask for your permission to access your contacts. When you give it to him, he will ask you if you want to use the Google account that you are using on your mobile or another. Choose the account you want to use and click on the OK button.
When you start the account, LocalCast will ask you for permissions to be able to access your Google Drive files. Keep in mind that you will be exposing your data to third parties, so think twice if you want to maintain your privacy. In any case, to use LocalCast you need to click on Allow and give you access permissions.
Once logged in open the side menu again and click on Google Drive, and navigate to the folder where you have the videos hosted. Once there, click on the Chromecast button to link the app to your device before starting playback.
You will start the process to choose which device to send content to. On this screen, You have to activate the Google Cast option to find your Chromecast or compatible device, although you can also choose other types of device that appear in the list.
Among the results you have obtained, tap on your Chromecast or compatible device like the MiBox that I have used in my tests. The app will link to it and you are ready to submit content.
Once you are ready to send content, simply go back to the folder where you have the Google Drive videos in LocalCast and click on the video you want to see to open it in your player. In addition to sending to the Chromecast before pressing the video, you also have the option to do it when you are playing it.
