Troubleshooting Switcher Cast

After installing Switcher Cast on your computer, you may still experience an issue connecting your computer's display to Switcher Studio for the first time. This commonly exhibits itself by either not showing your computer's name as a available source in the Inputs tab, or by showing an indefinitely rotating circle after tapping on your computer's name in Inputs.

This issue is easily alleviated by adjusting settings on your computer and network, so that you can use Switcher Cast as intended. Please select your computer model below to troubleshoot your individual needs:

In this article:

General Switcher Cast Troubleshooting

Are your devices on the correct Wi-Fi network?

Your computer has to be connected to Wi-Fi, and it has to be the same network as your Switcher iOS devices. If you have separate 2GHz and 5GHz networks, please ensure your devices are all on the same network.

Is your Firewall preventing Switcher Cast from properly connecting?

A firewall can prevent Switcher Cast from working as intended, as Switcher Studio needs to make contact with Switcher Cast on your computer in order to bridge the connection.

If you have an anti-virus program, please disable the firewall as follows:

  • Open your anti-virus program.

  • Navigate to your firewall settings. 

  • Turn off the firewall.

  • Try using Switcher Cast again.

    • If a connection is now possible, add an exception for Switcher Cast to your firewall before re-enabling it.

Troubleshooting Switcher Cast for macOS

Has your Mac given all necessary permissions to Switcher Cast?

The most common cause of Switcher Cast not working on a Mac is due to missing permissions for Camera and Screen Recording. Newer versions of macOS have an extra security feature to prevent software from capturing the screen, so you may have to re-enable the Screen Recording permission more than once.

If the main Switcher device is "spinning" when connecting to Switcher Cast, please ensure Switcher Cast has all permissions enabled as follows:

  • On your Mac, click the Apple menu.

  • Click System Preferences.

  • Click Security & Privacy.

  • Click the Privacy tab.

  • Click Camera in the left sidebar.

    • Make sure there is a checkmark next to Switcher Cast.

  • Click Screen Recording in the left sidebar.

    • Make sure there is a checkmark next to Switcher Cast.

Note: In some rare instances, the Screen Recording box shows a checkmark but the permission isn't actually enabled. If you've confirmed the Screen Recording permission is on, we recommend unchecking the box, exiting System Preferences, opening it back up, and enabling the permission again.

Is your Mac running the latest macOS?

Your Mac must be on the latest macOS in order for Switcher Cast to function properly. Here is how to check your OS version:

  • On your Mac, click the Apple menu.

  • Click About this Mac.

    • Your OS version will be listed at the top. 

  • Click the Software Update... button to see if there's an OS update available.

Troubleshooting Switcher Cast for Windows

Does your PC have the required specs for Switcher Cast?

Your PC must be running on Windows 10. Beyond this, please make sure that your PC has the following criteria on its system in order to properly run the software:

  • Intel Core i7 dual-core processor

  • Windows 10

  • 8GB DDR4 RAM

  • iTunes must be installed

  • Bonjour must be installed

If you have verified all the recommendations and requirements above and are still having trouble using Switcher Cast, we recommend using the Remote Guest feature. For more information, check out the Screensharing Using the Remote Guest Feature article.

Note: Switcher Cast cannot be installed onto Chromebooks. In order to screen share with a Chromebook, you will need to use the Remote Guest screensharing method.

Keyword(s): troubleshoot, switcher, cast, PC, Windows, mac