How to quickly rename your Android TV to easily cast music and videos

Android TV offers a big screen, remote driven experience, but they also include Google Cast for when you don't want to fiddle with remotes. Just like a Chromecast, you can pick up your phone and start a YouTube video or playlist then tap the cast icon and move the content onto another display or set of speakers.

But when you have multiple devices, like smart TVs in several rooms, Google Home speakers around the house, and other connected, Cast-capable gadgets in your home, it can be frustrating sorting through a menu of televisions, Chromecasts, and other mysteriously named devices when you're just trying to get Netflix on the big screen.

But if you follow this guide, we'll help you rename your Android TV devices so you can easily find them in your Cast list next time you want to use your phone as a remote.

1) Head into Settings, which is normally in the top right corner of the Android TV interface. Look for the gear icon. This will launch you into a side menu where you can adjust all of the settings and features of your Android TV. For our guide, we're using an NVIDIA Shield TV, but your set might look slightly different.

2) On the latest version of Android TV, the side menu will have a Device Preferences submenu. Click that, and it'll take us to all of the device-specific things we can change.

3) Once there, you'll see an entry for About, just like on your Android phone. Tap that and you'll see all of the information about your Android TV specifically, including names, software version, and more.

4) In this menu, click the Device Name option. By default the device will likely be named after whatever model it is, but you can change it to “Living Room TV” or “Kitchen TV.” That'll make it easier to find what screen you want to Cast to next time you need it.

That's really all there is to the process. It works just like it would on your phone, and should apply to most modern Android TV devices, including the NVIDIA Shield TV and other OEM sets with Android TV built-in.

Check out our other Android TV Guides for more tips and tricks.