When the Google Chromecast HDMI streaming stick -- later a dongle -- arrived in 2013, it was a revelation. Retailing for $35, it served as the cheapest possible way to get streaming content onto the average HDTV. Getting it down to $35 required some corners to be cut, like a lack of a physical remote control, but even this was reframed as a feature.

That's because Chromecast was built mainly to receive inputs over your home network using your phone or computer as the remote. In time, Chromecast would come to refer to the casting protocol as much as the hardware, especially once the hardware leveled up and the streaming dongle became Chromecast with Google TV, a fully-featured Android smart TV platform complete with remote. As of August 2024, Google has stopped manufacturing Chromecast devices, so in time, Chromecast will refer to the protocol first and foremost.

Though it's always been a Google project, Chromecast has long supported Apple devices, both by encouraging developers to bake compatibility into their mobile apps and pushing the Google Chrome browser for Macs. As a result, even if you're otherwise firmly entrenched in the Apple ecosystem, you can still got a lot of value out of a Chromecast device or a Google TV device that has Chromecast built into it. In addition, there are also plugins that let you add Chromecast functionality to other apps, like Safari. Let's take a look at exactly how to cast from your Mac to a Chromecast device.