Recently renamed to Google Cast, Google Chromecast connects to a TV or projector and casts content to Google Chromecast, displaying content from a phone, tablet or Chrome browser on a computer. However, when the user isn’t casting a video or anything from their computer’s Chrome browser, Chromecast/Google Cast shows some nice background images. They work like a slideshow screensaver. Here, we will show users how to customize what appears in this slideshow screensaver.
Many Google Cast or Chromecast users didn’t know that they could customize what images Google Cast uses to create this slideshow screensaver.
By default Google Cast app It uses selected photos from professional photographers, news photos, weather images, Google Earth images or headlines from Google Play Newsstand. However, users can add content from photos online. Google Cast Background settings also allow users to choose from their own Google Photos, Facebook or Flickr. It works with Android version and iOS version the application. We will show you the steps of the iPhone application, but it looks almost identical to the Android version.
How to Change Chromecast Background Pictures on Google Cast
To get started, open the Google Cast app. At the top, you will see three tabs, one in the middle. Tap. If you have already configured your Google Cast to work, it will appear on this screen. If not, follow our guide How to set up Google Cast.
The app includes two ways to access the Background settings. Just below your Chromecast listed in the app you will see this (see left image above). Tap this to get to the settings where you change the sources of the background images. Alternatively, the app shows the menu button with three vertical dots in the upper right corner of the Google Cast box (see image below). Tap on the dots and a list of options will appear in the popup menu. Tap on it.
The following screen will appear. The left image below shows the upper half of the settings screen, and the right one shows the lower half. Tap each item to change the images Background uses in Google Chromeast.
For example, tap on Flickr and it opens the screen below to add your Flickr account to the Google Cast app (see below). Open Flickr by tapping the slide switch at the top of the screen. Then tap the blue button at the bottom of the screen.
Enter the user credentials on the next screen. This brings up an authorization screen (right image above). Tap on it. A labeled scroll key is shown on the next screen. It is off by default. Open it and the user’s Flickr albums appear. Select the albums to be included in the background image screensaver. If the user disables the Selected albums slider, the app will randomly select photos from all albums.
Other content options work similarly. You will also need to open Selected albums for Google Photos and Facebook. Other items in the list include other customizations. Google Cast allows users to add the following types of photos and images:
There is one more configuration option that controls how quickly images change in the background slideshow. Tap on it and tap on it to turn on the orange slide switch. Choose from three speed options (see below left).
I timed the quick option and the image changes after about 20-22 seconds per image.
When customizing the weather, tap towards the bottom of the Edit Background settings screen. Turn on the Weather option by tapping the orange slider switch. Choose between Fahrenheit or Celsius by tapping the corresponding orange slider.
Play Newsstand requires you to open the slider next to it.
If you want to remove any of the options, tap on the source options above (Google Photos, Facebook, Flickr, etc.) and remove the account. You can also remove all customizations by tapping the option at the bottom of the background settings screen.
After customizing the above settings, Google Cast/Chromecast will always use these settings as long as the user is connected to the Internet. Turn on the TV and the slide show will start.
