Easy and Cheap Digital Signage

Photo by Franck V. on Unsplash

Photos are a great way to brag about the awesome things happening in your classrooms. On this page you will learn how you can use Google Photos and a Chromecast to quickly display photos on a TV.

H/T to Brian Briggs for introducing me to this awesome idea!

Equipment Needed

Google Photos App

iOS / Android

A TV with an HDMI Port

The Steps

Step 1

Download the Google Home App (iOS /Android). You will need this app to set up your Chromecast.

Step 2

Follow these steps to connect your Chromecast to your network.

Step 3

Create an album in Google Photos specifically for the Chromecast

Step 4

Open up the Google Home app that you used to set up your Chromecast. On the home screen tap on the Chromecast's icon and then click on the gear to access the device settings.

Step 5

Scroll down the settings until you see Ambient Mode. Click on Ambient Mode.

Step 6

Select Google Photos as your photo source.

Step 7

Select the photo album that you created in step 3 as your source.

Step 8

Upload photos to the photo album using Google Photos.

Step 9

Use the Google Photos app on your phone or computer to manage the photo album. You can also share the album with anyone who you want to add photos.

NOTES: The larger the photos the better. If a photo has a low resolution it will not show up on the screen. I have also found that this sometimes does not play nice with photos that were shot in portrait mode.