Google is building casting features right into Chrome

Google Chrome is about to learn a new trick.

The browser is set to be updated with a new feature that allows you to take advantage of Google Cast without the need for a separate browser extension.

Google Cast is a technology that allows you to beam content from your smartphone or browser to your television or speakers. Though Google Chrome has technically supported casting for some time, it required a separate browser extension to use.

With the update, this feature will be baked in to the browser itself. All you'll need to do is click on the tools menu in the top right corner of your browser and select "cast." From there, you'll be able to beam your browser tabs to any Cast-enabled display.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The update was first spotted in a beta version of Chrome back in January but it appears Google is now getting ready to roll the feature out to everyone. Google's support page for the feature says it's rolling out with version 51 of Chrome, which is the current version, so we expect users will start to see it soon.

Google Hangouts will also benefit from Chrome's new casting abilities. The update will allow users to cast Chrome tabs directly to conversations within Hangouts. To do so, Google still recommends you use its Google Cast browser extension but you can also take advantage of the feature without it.

While Hangouts already supports screen-sharing, casting could be a handy alternative for situations when you want to share a single browser tab rather than your entire desktop. Google says this feature will be available with Chrome 52, which hasn't rolled out yet but you can find detailed instructions on how the feature will work here.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.