Can Chromecast Change TV Input?

Chromecast has many amazing features that make it a great tech addition to any home. While most people use the Chromecast to play music or cast streaming services, the Chromecast can do much more, such as control your TV. But can it change your TV’s input?  

The voice remote that comes with certain Chromecast devices can control a TV’s input. Setup the feature using these steps:

1. From the remote-control setup screen, select Input.
2. Scroll through all the input options to make sure they all work.
3. When the TV asks if the input button works, select Yes.

You may still be wondering how exactly the Chromecast and the TV work together. You may also be wondering how to enable automatic input switches if they aren’t working. We will go over all of this and more below!

Can Chromecast Be Used to Change TV Input?

There are many features that you can control on your TV with Chromecast’s voice remote. However, most of these features will need to be set up when you first buy your Chromecast or TV before they will work.

To set up the Chromecast remote with your smart TV, follow the steps below:

1. Turn on Chromecast.
2. At the top right of the TV, select your profile.
3. Select Settings.
4. Select Remote & Accessories.
5. Select Setup Remote Buttons.
6. Choose Add a Device.
7. Select your device type.
8. Select your device brand.

After setting up the Chromecast remote, you will be able to control many features. The newer remotes’ features include Netflix and YouTube buttons that allow you to go directly to the streaming services when pressed.

The Chromecast remote also allows you to change the volume, power, and input. Keep in mind that the older Chromecast models made before 2020 do not come with a remote. The 2020 model remotes also do not work with Google’s older Chromecast models.

In this case, you will have to use the standard TV remote to control the Chromecast. For the standard TV remote to work, your TV will need to be HDMI compatible. Most TVs have HMDI features except ones that are not flat screen or LCD.

How to Control TV Input with Chromecast

Once the Chromecast remote is set up, you can turn on the settings for the input control. Follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the remote-control setup screen.
2. On the remote, select Input.
3. Switch through all the TV inputs to make sure it is working.
4. The screen will ask, “Did the input button work?”
5. Select Yes or No.

If you select No, the TV will take you through troubleshooting steps and let you try the process again.

Why Does My Chromecast Automatically Change the Input When I Turn It On?

You may have noticed that when you turn the TV and the Chromecast on, the input on the TV will automatically change to the HDMI input for the Chromecast. This feature does not usually need to be set up.

The automatic change happens for a few reasons:

• Chromecast supports HDMI-CEC. This allows the TV to send signals from the remote to the HMDI port, and then back into the Chromecast.
• The TV recognizes the Chromecast as HDMI compatible. With the Chromecast plugged into one of the TV’s HMDI ports, the TV can send communications through the cable.
• Most TV’s offer HDMI-CEC. With this feature, the devices and the TV can control each other in some ways, seen in the automatic input switch.

If your TV does not automatically switch to HDMI, your TV might not be compatible, or the CEC may be disabled.

Each TV is a little different, but these steps can be followed to setup HDMI-CEC:

1. Press the Menu button on your remote.
2. Use the right and left buttons to find the Setup menu.
3. Use the up and down buttons until HDMI-CEC is highlighted.
4. Press Select.
5. Select On or toggle the CEC option to on.

Now your TV will go to HDMI without prompting when you turn on the TV and the Chromecast. If you didn’t see the HDMI-CEC option from your TV’s setup menu, your TV may not be compatible with this technology.

In Summary

The Chromecast’s voice remote is great for controlling many features on the TV. The input feature will need to be set up when you buy the device. From the remote-control setup page, select Input. Then scroll through the input selections to see if they all work. Select Yes when you’re done.

Prefer to control your TV with your phone instead? Check out this article to learn more about how you can set this feature up.