Is it possible to set up Chromecast 4th Gen without remote?

[andyroz]

It would appear that a Chromecast 4th Gen without a remote is unusable (effectively bricked) unless it is already setup and working. Is this correct?

What I see is that the Chromecast displays a picture of the remote on the TV, and asks you to press the home & left arrow buttons on the actual remote together. If you do not have the remote, this is not possible. Google Home is also unable to find the device, so there is no way to use the Home app to configure the device either.

If true, this seems to be a major backward step from earlier Chromecast versions that had no remote requirement.

[andyroz]

OK, it is possible.

You'll need a bluetooth mouse or possibly XBox controller. A bluetooth keyboard may even work.

When the picture of the remote displays on the TV, press the button on the Chromecast 4th gen device once. This places the device into bluetooth pairing mode. Now put your mouse/controller/keyboard into pairing mode. Your controller(s) should appear as "MX:xxxxx" on the right of the TV.

You can now continue the setup using your controller to navigate and select the remaining options. Now you can use Google Home to control the Chromecast, and if you're lucky, your TV controller may even be able to control it (via HDMI Link). The TV controller option may need a "smart tv" with the HDMI/SIMLINK or similar option turned on.

[DeboraJ]

Hi @andyroz 

Thank you for reaching out to the community and sharing your experience! I understand that you encountered some issues connecting your Chromecast 4th Gen without a remote.

I appreciate you sharing the troubleshooting steps you took and how they resolved the issue. This valuable information can be helpful to other users who may encounter similar problems.

Do you have any other questions or concerns that I can assist you with?

Best regards, 

Debora