Pick a preferred TV or speaker for video and audio playback

Choose a default media playback device to play your video and audio without the need to include the device's name in your voice command.

Why pick a preferred TV or speaker?

Video: Benefits of picking a preferred TV

If you have more than one TV that uses Chromecast linked to your Google Nest or Home speaker or display, you need to explicitly say the name of the TV or Chromecast you want to use for playback when you use voice commands to play YouTube videos or TV shows and films (Example: 'Living Room TV'). When you select your preferred device for video playback, all video voice commands you use with your speaker or display play on your preferred device without the need to specify its name.

Supported video cast devices

• Chromecast (1st gen), Chromecast (2nd gen), Chromecast (3rd gen), Chromecast Ultra and Chromecast with Google TV
• Android TV
• TV with Chromecast Built-In

Support for Chromecast (1st gen) has ended, which means these devices no longer receive software or security updates, and Google doesn't provide technical support for them. Users might notice a degradation in performance.

Audio: Benefits of picking a preferred speaker

By default, when you ask your speaker or display to play audio and music, it plays music on its built-in speaker. If you use a  Chromecast built-in audio device or Cast speaker groups, you need to explicitly say the name of the speaker or group you want to use for playback (Example: 'Bedroom speakers' or 'Home Group'). 

When you select your preferred device for audio playback, all audio voice commands you use with your speaker or display play on your preferred speaker or group without the need to specify its name.

Supported cast devices

• Chromecast Audio
• Cast audio groups
• Chromecast Built-In audio devices
• Chromecast (1st gen), Chromecast (2nd gen), Chromecast (3rd gen), Chromecast Ultra and Chromecast with Google TV
• Android TV
• Chromecast Built-In TV

Support for Chromecast (1st gen) has ended, which means these devices no longer receive software or security updates, and Google doesn't provide technical support for them. Users might notice a degradation in performance.

Set your preferred TV or speaker

Step 1. Link your TVs and speakers

Link TVs to your speaker or display

Note: The following steps are optional if you only want to control your TV with your mobile device or tablet. However, if you want to control your TV using voice commands through your speaker or display, follow the steps below.

1. Make sure that your mobile device or tablet is connected to the same Wi-Fi or linked to the same account as your Chromecast, or speaker or display.
2. Open the Google Home app .
3. Tap your account.
4. Verify that the Google Account shown is the one linked to your speaker or display. If correct, tap Close  to return to the previous screen. To switch accounts, tap the dropdown icon , then tap another account or Add another account.
5. Go back to the home screen, then touch and hold your Chromecast or TV with Chromecast Built-in's tile.
6. At the top right, tap Settings   Recognition and sharing.
7. Look for a banner at the top of the page entitled 'Enable voice control and more'.
   1. If the banner appears, tap it and follow the steps to link your TV.
   2. If the banner doesn't appear but your email address appears under 'Linked account(s)', your TV is already linked.

Note: If you get an 'Error when linking device' error message, you must factory reset your Chromecast device.

Step 2. Set your preferred media playback device

Speakers and Chromecast

1.  Make sure that your mobile device or tablet is linked to the same account as your Chromecast or speaker.
2. Open the Google Home app .
3. Tap Favourites or Devices
4. Tap and hold your device's tile.
5. At the top right, tap Settings   Audio, then:
   1. To choose the TV or speaker you want to use when you play music, tap Default music speaker.
   2. To choose your preferred TV, tap Default TV.

Displays

1. Make sure that your mobile device or tablet is linked to the same account as your display. 
2. Open the Google Home app .
3. Tap Favourites or Devices
4. Tap and hold your device's tile.
5. At the top right, tap Settings , then:
   1. To choose the TV or speaker you want to use when you play music, tap Audio  Default music speaker, then choose the TV or speaker you want to use when you play music.
   2. To choose your preferred TV, tap Display  Default TV, then choose your preferred TV.

To reset your preferred device, tap Reset.

Tips and tricks

• To play media on your speaker or display, and not on your preferred TV or speaker, say 'Hey Google, play <media> on <speaker or display name>'.
• Unsupported features:
  • Podcasts play locally on your speaker or display, not on a TV or speaker.
  • News doesn't play on TV devices, so if you set a TV as your preferred 'Listen on' device, the speaker or display plays it locally instead.
• You must be linked to the speaker or display to be able to set its preferred TV or speakers.
• You can set any device or group that's linked to any of the users linked to the specific speaker or display as the preferred audio or video output.
• When the preferred device isn't available, such as when it's offline or powered off, you will get a message to let you know it's unavailable.
• When you factory reset your speaker, display, or your preferred TV or speaker, you need to reapply the setting.