Solving the Latency Issue: A Step-by-Step Guide to Eliminating Chromecast Audio Lag

Problems with Chromecast audio delays may appear in one of several different ways:

The video on the television is moving faster than the audio.
Audio and video temporarily align and then fall out of sync.
You may hear audio while the video lags behind the sound, or there’s no video at all.

Chromecast audio delay is more common when your home Wi-Fi network is slow or too many people are streaming content simultaneously. However, there could be other causes for this problem as well.

If you have Chromecast audio delays all the time, this points toward network speed issues. However, if the audio delay only happens sometimes, it could indicate other network activity interfering with your Chromecast stream.

Causes of Chromecast Audio Delay Problems

Issues with Chromecast audio delays are usually caused by network problems, device connection problems with the Chromecast, the device’s distance from the Chromecast, or speaker latency.

The network is the best place to start whenever there are sound delay problems with Chromecast. Once you’ve confirmed the network isn’t causing the problem, you can move on to checking other technical issues. Save the Chromecast delay correction fix for last, if nothing else works.

How to Fix Chromecast Audio Delays

Most of the fixes below involve Google Home app settings. You can apply these fixes with either Android or iOS devices, so long as you have the latest version of the Google Home app installed.

Reboot your Chromecast device. Just unplug the power to your Chromecast, wait a few moments and then plug it back in. As with many technical issues, a simple restart may resolve the issue.
Enable the 5 GHz channel on your router . The easiest way to fix Chromecast audio delays (and get better performance overall) is to take advantage of the 5 GHz network your Wi-Fi router is broadcasting. To ensure your Chromecast is using 5 GHz, reset the Chromecast to factory default , walk through the setup process and connect it to the 5 GHz channel .
You will need to be using a 2nd generation or later Chromecast device in order to use your 5 GHz Wi-Fi channel.
Optimize the placement of your home Wi-Fi router . Distance from your Chromecast device to your router has a large impact on streaming quality. Every device casts to the Chromecast over the Wi-Fi network, so the closer your Chromecast (and your device) is to the router, the less likely there will be any delay. Also ensure your router antennas are positioned correctly as well .
Make sure too many devices aren’t streaming on your network . Modern streaming services like Netflix allow families to stream from multiple devices at once , but the more streaming activity, the less bandwidth available for your Chromecast stream. This can lead to delayed audio and other video buffering issues . Ask everyone in your home to stop streaming while you’re troubleshooting this problem.
If you’re using a Chromecast device with an ethernet port, connect an ethernet cable from your Chromecast to the router. This will provide the highest quality streaming experience. You can also purchase an Ethernet adapter for a 1st Gen Chromecast device.
Lower streaming quality on the streaming service you’re casting from. This is known fix for Netflix buffering issues , because lower resolutions have lower speed requirements from your network.
Try adjusting your Chromecast to 50 Hz HDMI mode to see if the content you’re trying to stream is encoded at 50 Hz. You can do this in the Google Home app. Select your Chromecast device, select the gear icon, selectVideo , and enableUse 50Hz HDMI Mode .
This is a common solution to audio delay issues if you’re streaming sports content since some sports content is encoded at 50 Hz.
Adjust “Group delay correction” for your Chromecast. To do this, open the Google Home app, select the device you’re having audio delay issues with, tap the gear icon, selectAudio , and selectGroup delay correction . Stand between the speakers that seem out of sync and adjust the time slider until the audio delay between the speakers is resolved.

FAQ

How do I cast Chromecast audio to Bluetooth headphones?
To listen to Chromecast with headphones , goSettings >Remotes and Accessories >Pair Remote Or Accessories . Put your headphones in pairing mode to connect them, then cast content to start listening.
How do I fix it when the sound isn’t working on my Chromecast?
If your Chromecast audio isn’t working , try switching to a different input on your TV. If you’re still having problems, restart all your devices and update your Chromecast.
How do I set up multiroom audio on Chromecast?
To play Chromecast audio in multiple rooms, create a speaker group in the Google Home app . When you cast, select the speaker group to play on all speakers.

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Solving the Latency Issue: A Step-by-Step Guide to Eliminating Chromecast Audio Lag