“Google Cast” replaces “Chromecast built-in” branding

At I/O 2024, “Chromecast Built-in” was quietly renamed “Google Cast.” This notably cancels a brand change made in 2016.

At the end of 2016, the original “Google Cast” branding was phased out in favor of “Chromecast built-in”. Given that consumers are aware of affordable “Chromecast” dongles, this change made sense.

The name was still in use in January when LG announced at CES that its webOS-equipped 2024 TVs would gain built-in Chromecast (and Google Home) support. During the on-stage announcement, Google said:

Today, we’re excited to announce that 2024 LG TVs will now feature Chromecast built-in. This means that LG TV users will be able to start a video on their phone or Chrome browser and, with a single tap on the Cast icon, be able to start watching it on the best screen in their home.

The Pixel tablet with the charging dock with speaker also carried this branding.

Announcing that Android Automotive is getting Cast support at the I/O level, the company said: “Google Cast (formerly Chromecast built-in) is coming to cars. »

The updated branding is referenced on Android.com (with the chromecast.com/built-in redirect to this page) and this Google Support article:

Google Cast (formerly Chromecast Built-in) delivers multi-screen TV and audio experiences with speakers.

“Google Cast” automatically embeds “Google” in the name, which might explain why this change is happening today.

In terms of Casting functionality, end users should not expect anything to change, but expect the product packaging to feature a new badge.

The question that arises today is what impact this will have on the brand image of future Chromecast dongles manufactured by Google. We reported in April that Google was working on a new Chromecast powered by Google TV. I don’t really see Google abandoning the successful Chromecast brand, although “with Google TV” is clunky and should be removed. The current rebranding could aim to reserve “Chromecast” for first-party products.