Chromecast source not supported – this is one major issue users face while trying to cast content from Chromecast to their TV, be it a Samsung, LG, or any other TV brand that supports this feature. In case you are experiencing this very issue, in this article, I will be showing you how you can fix it easily.
The smart TVs we have in today’s world allow seamless integration with various external devices, which enables entertainment in various ways. One of the popular options people use today is casting videos to their TV directly from mobile devices. The good news is that you can also cast content from your desktop computer as well.
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If your TV does not have support for this feature, you can use a streaming device to establish this connection. An example of such a device is Google’s Chromecast. Chromecast is loaded with many streaming applications, and you can use it to cast content even from a Google Chrome browser. But the sad news is that, sometimes, Chromecast may not be able to detect a source you are trying to use – this is when the Chromecast source not supported prompt normally pops up.
Let me now show you some proven tips on how to fix the Chromecast source not supported error that is commonly displayed when you are trying to mirror one device to another.
How to Fix Chromecast Source Not Supported Error
There can be many reasons that lead to the Chromecast source not supported errors. The app you are using can be experiencing an occasional bug. Your internet connection might not be transmitting enough bandwidth at a given time. Also, there may be something wrong with the settings on your mobile device, router, or the Wi-Fi connection you are connected to.
Whatever the reason, simply follow the troubleshooting advice I explained below in order to get the Chromecast source not supported error fixed.
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Restart the Whole Equipment
With most smart devices, a single restart can help restore certain functionalities. Better still, you might want to turn them off completely, wait a short while, and then start them all over again. By doing this, all the background processes will get a fresh start, and potentially removing any crashes you are not even aware of. Follow the steps outlined below.
- Turn off your TV.
- Unplug your Google Chromecast from the TV.
- Turn off both the Internet modem and Wi-Fi router. If you are using a modem with an integrated Wi-Fi router, then you will have one device less to restart.
- Wait for half a minute.
- Now turn on your modem. Let it do all its startup magic for at least a minute or two.
- After that, you can turn on the Wi-Fi router. Again, allow for up to two minutes until it stabilizes the connection with the router and the other devices it serves.
- Turn on your TV and wait some 20 seconds.
- Now plug in your Chromecast to the TV.
- Chromecast will now initialize, so again allow 20-30 seconds until it establishes all connections.
When all your devices are successfully up once again, try to cast the same content you previously had a problem with. By doing this, you will know if the restart did the trick, if not, you can try the other suggestion listed below.
Check Wi-Fi Networks
Some Wi-Fi routers have the ability to create several Wi-Fi networks at the same time, so you might want to check the exact network your devices are using. For instance, your router might have two networks running simultaneously – Home 1 and Home 2. If your Chromecast is connected to Home 1, and your phone is using the Home 2 network, they will not be able to detect each other. Though both of the devices are using the same physical router, they are actually on two completely different networks that cannot communicate with each other.
In order to ensure that all the devices are on the same Wi-Fi, check the corresponding Wi-Fi settings, and look for the name of the network they are currently using. If they are using different Wi-Fi connections, simply switch them over to the one your Chromecast is connected to.
Check the App you are Using to Cast
The app you are using to cast might not be performing properly at the current moment. If this is the case, it is best to restart the app itself. If you are trying to cast from your desktop computer or laptop, simply close the problematic app and start it all over again.
If you are casting from your Android device, restart the app using the “Application Manager”. Before you proceed, note that if the app does not store your user settings online, this action might reset everything to its defaults. Also, once you are done, you might be asked to log in again using your credentials. So, make sure you remember what they are.
- Open the “Apps” folder.
- Tap the “Settings” icon.
- Open the “Application Manager”. Depending on the version of Android you are using, follow one of these paths:
- Older versions – Tap the “General” tab, and then tap “Application Manager”.
- Newer versions – Scroll down to either “Application Manager” or “Apps”. If you have found the “Apps” option, when you tap it, you should see “Application Manager” among the available options.
- Scroll down to the application with which you had problems casting to your TV. When you find the app, tap it.
- Once in the app’s menu, tap “Force Stop”.
- In the “Storage” section, tap “Clear Data”.
- In the “Cache” section, tap “Clear Cache”.
- Now return to your home screen and restart the app.
The steps above should solve any issues coming from the app’s instability. If you are casting directly from the Chrome browser, and you are still experiencing problems with the “Chromecast source not supported” message, try the following suggestion explained below.
Turn on Mirroring in Chrome
If you are finding it difficult to stream to Chromecast using the Chrome browser on your laptop or desktop, make sure you have enabled Chrome’s mirroring option. If your Chrome browser has received a recent update, it might have resulted in the mirroring services becoming disabled by default. To fix this, just follow the steps below.
- Open the Chrome browser on your laptop/desktop.
- Type “chrome://flags” in the browser’s address bar.
- Press Ctrl+F on your keyboard to bring up the “Find” field.
- Type “Mirroring”.
- Now you should see the “Mirroring Service” section.
- From the drop-down menu to the right, select “Enable”.
- Close Chrome and start it again.
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If the mirroring was the reason your Chrome browser refused to cast to your TV, following the steps above will definitely fix the issue.
Other Things You Can Try to Fix Chromecast Source Not Supported Error
If the attempts to cast from your Chrome browser are still unsuccessful, there are few other things you can try before contacting the support team.
If you are using Windows, some users have fixed this issue by turning off Windows Defender. Although you do not want to expose your computer to viruses and threats, Windows Defender can cause issues to arise between your computer and Chromecast.
Other users said they have to set Chrome as their default browser in order to get it fixed. While I have not been able to replicate this fix, it is worth trying If nothing else is working.
Another last-ditch effort you can carry out is to factory-reset your Chromecast. You can do this in the Home App on your mobile device. Just note that every stored data or setting will be deleted, and you will have to start all over from scratch.
Conclusion
Streaming to your TV from an external device is a great way to listen to music or watch YouTube videos. Using Chromecast, you can achieve that even if your TV does not support the option by default. If you are getting the Chromecast source not supported message, you must be able to fix it easily by now if you have read through this page.
