Google Chromecast app rebranded to Google Cast, as underlying tech permeates more third-party devices

Google has announced that it’s changing the name of its Chromecast app to Google Cast on Android and iOS, as of this week.

The name change, while a minor move on the surface, signals a broader shift in the direction Google is taking its Cast technology. With more than 20 million units sold in the two years since launch, Google’s original Chromecast was something of a game-changer in the home entertainment realm — anyone with an Android or iOS device could “beam” videos from Netflix, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, and more directly to their TV. While Google introduced two new Chromecast devices last year, the Internet giant has also been opening the underlying Cast technology to third-party devices, including TVs and speakers.

Indeed, just today Google announced that Cast is now built into Vizio’s new P-Series displays, as well as its soundbars and speakers. And what’s perhaps most curious about the news is that the displays don’t come with any additional built-in apps or smarts — it’s built entirely on Cast technology, and it can cast in Ultra HD quality.

With Google Cast technology becoming increasingly engrained in third-party devices, it makes sense for Google to distance its Chromecast app from the physical Chromecast devices. The rebranded app will be arriving on iOS and Android later this week.