How to Recycle Your Old Android Phone, Tablet and Turn it into a Chromecast Device

Google’s Chromecast dongle for HDTVs has been a surprising hit. Priced at just $35, the device quickly sold out and is currently out of stock at many retail locations, with shipping delays of up to a month. So if you have a new Android phone, how do you ‘stream’ content from your phone to your HDTV? One such solution involves using an old Android smartphone or tablet that’s been roaming around and collecting dust and plugging it into your HDTV. Thanks to a new app that is currently in beta, called Cheapcast, and is now available for free. Google Play Storeusers can stream content from their new Android smartphone to an old phone or tablet plugged into their HDTV via an HDMI connection.

While most of the functionality of Chromecast is duplicated thanks to the working Cheapcast software, you will miss out on some of the simplicity and elegance of the Chromecast. For one, the Chromecast is a smaller dongle that hides behind your HDTV. If you’re using Cheapcast, you’ll have to find a way to hide your old mobile device while it’s plugged into your TV, or you’ll just have to deal with the device showing up next to your TV.

Also, although most of the functions have been duplicated, there are still some bugs as this is beta software. The developer states that Chrome Tabs are still not working properly.

Another use, especially for travelers, is that you can stream content from your newer, smaller-screen smartphone to your tablet’s larger screen for viewing and sharing content, even if you don’t connect your old tablet to your HDTV. this way This can be a good solution for student projects in smaller group settings or even business travellers. The developer showed that the content on his smartphone was transferred to a Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet.

The ability to cast what’s on your phone to your tablet (without watching it on an HDTV) is something the Cheapcast can do that the $35 Chromecast dongle can’t. It can be a good way for enthusiasts to get a new life from their old tablet.