How to stream YouTube videos from Windows Phone to the Xbox One using Tubecast

By Mark Guim
last updated

Windows Phone users currently do not have an official YouTube application, but there are third-party apps available. One of those awesome apps is Tubecast, which we've recently reviewed. If you haven't installed it yet, you definitely should. It has an amazing feature that lets you "cast" videos from your phone to the Xbox One. Don't believe us? We'll show you how it works.

Tubecast has such a beautiful user interface that you should check it out even if you're not a fan of YouTube videos. The layout for the thumbnails, titles, and descriptions are well thought out. When you are watching a video, take a closer look at the icons on the top right corner. The icon on the right is the one that will let you "cast" or stream the video to your Xbox One. This works as long both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. This also works with Chromecast or other devices that support UPNP/DLNA protocol. Most recent TVs and SmartTVs are supported.

After tapping the cast button, a list of supported devices are shown. Tap on the Xbox or another device you prefer and the video will start playing there. Depending on the device, you can control the volume and or move the playhead.

You might have noticed that there is a number on the cast button. Tubecast is a free download from the Windows Phone Store, but it is limited to 20 casts. You can unlock the app for $1.99 to cast as many videos as you want. That's the only difference between the free and Pro versions of Tubecast. Everything else is the same.

Casting with Tubecast works really well and it is an excellent third-party app for YouTube overall. Have you tried it?

Mark Guim
Mark Guim

Mark Guim is Video Editor at Windows Central. He switched to Windows because the MacBook Pro isn't Pro enough. You can follow him on Twitter at @markguim.

55 Comments
  • Yeh I've been doing that for a while. #DLNA brooo
  • Same....don't need an app to do this...and u get an achievement for it...
  • I find this much faster than DLNA (correction, meant Miracast), plus it works when over a friend's house with their Xbox One. No pairing needed.
  • You may not have to pair your phone to YouTube, but you have to be on your friends Wi-Fi.
  • This is using DLNA isn't it?
  • It's more the DLNA, as the app also supports AirPlay and Chromecast too. But yeah, it use Wi-Fi direct to connect straight to the Xbox.
  • What do you mean? How do you play youtube video from your phone to TV without an app?
  • If you're using the youtube website on your phone, which is a perfectly acceptable way to do it, you just press the stream button at the top of the screen and it'll play to the xbox. You have to initially pair your phone, which you only have to do once, by entering a code on the phone that the xbox app gives you. Then so long as you have the xbox app open you will see the button. This also works for streaming from your pc or tablet. As I understand it, it doesn't actually stream from the phone, it tells the xbox to connect to the same video but I might be wrong there. you can still control the play/ pause etc. And its free.
  • Yes it's a free way, but with DLNA you don't have to launch the Youtube App on the remote; and it's very cool because you have not to stop what you did for watching a movie. (also, a lot of DLNA devices don't have YouTube app)
  • Great app. It is streaming video to my Media Centrum PC really flawlessly. I don't have same streaming experience with Nokia PlayTo.
  • Nice, amazing speed indeed.
  • I use tubecast alot but doesn't cast to my 360..
  • You have no choice cause Microsoft don't care about things they make more than 5yrs past!
  • Play to app works just fine and tubecast says that its compatible with th 360.
  • 360 is 9 years old, it has 512 mb memory, it belongs in a museum, mate.
  • Tell that to the people who are still trying to use XP...
  • Could you contact the support in the app, it should work with 360 but there's maybe a bug. Thank you
  • I did they just sent me instructions on how to, I still use tubecast everyday just haven't paid for it for that reason only.
  • Ok we may misundertood by email, could you send us a new one ?
  • Ok thank you..
  • Am I missing something? Doesn't the Xbox already have a Youtube app?
  • Your phone does not!
  • The official YouTube site allows you to stream to your XB1 as long as they're paired... from Windows Phone. And honestly, since the XB1 now supports proper DLNA and Plex and all that, you can pretty much stream anything to it regardless.
  • I'm not a fan of the whole "code" thing and pairing. Seems like it is always forgetting. It's also a PITA if you're not on your Xbox. This also lets you set the quality of the stream in addition to being a super YouTube app for Windows Phone.
  • Idk, the only time mine has ever forgot was when I updated to 8.1, and once when I set the phone to factory defaults. Other than that, I've only ever had to pair once. When I'm over someone elses house, I use their cell to play YouTube to a device that allows streaming.
  • And what good does that do me, I have a Xbox 360?!
  • It upgrades your Xbox 360 to the Xbox One.
  • Pfhahahahahahah :P
  • Let me see if I got this right: Tubecast lets you send YouTube videos that you're playing on your phone to the Xbox One...which has its own YouTube app for playing those same videos?  A solution in search of a problem.
  • I know, right? Must be a slow news day.
  • More like boring comment day. You have literally nothing else interesting to add to this conversation?
  • Yeah? So then you don't have to do something twice and instead you can just stream from the device you're actually using. I do it all the time.
  • @ScubaDog Launch the YouTube app on your Xbox One. Now type in something to search and find videos. While you're typing one letter at a time with the One's controller and on-screen keyboard, I'll just type it out on my phone, or pull up the bookmark, and stream it to my Xbox much faster. Please do not tell me you also use IE on the Xbox One instead of the one on your phone? I dunno, personally, I find the Xbox One YouTube app to be a big ball of 'meh'. If you like it, that's cool. I find this app very useful if I want to play something on someone else's TV through their Xbox. Besides the streaming part, it's just an amazing YouTube app for Windows Phone that easily beats all the others out there.
  • One thing I've missed from my iPhone was the ability to use AirPlay to XBMC. The Play To app is useful but is very limited. TubeCast streams very long videos to XBMC immediately with zero issues using DLNA or AirPlay. So much easier to browse for videos on my phone than using my media center's keyboard and touch pad. Love this app.
  • Nice. Yeah, that's how I use it too. I mean, the YouTube app for the XB1 is good in a pinch, but if you didn't favorite the video to your account, the app is a PITA to use without a keyboard. This app is so fast that it makes sharing videos with friends/family waaaay easier and more enjoyable. Plus, on its own, I think it is probably the best designed YouTube app for WIndows Phone...it even has thumbnails when scrubbing the video!
  • Let me explain the benefits.  First, its not the most ideal typing experience using the controller to enter in what you are searching for or if you know the particular URL of a video, that would be rough to type in as well.  Having your phone to find te video and just play it to the xbox does seem to be a better method.  With that said, the youtube app on the xbox is pretty good,  I've used it a few times.  I mainly watch youtube videos on my lumia 928.  Another scenario is if you find a video on your phone and you have your friends over and you find something funny to share with them, it would be a snap to shar it to the xbox for all to enjoy.  I've been using myTube, but I'm gonna give this one a whirl.
  • If you use the youtube mobile site you can already stream to your xbox and it works well. I use the mobile site as I don't find the apps as reliable. And until now lacking in this basic feature the mobile site can do. Im certainly not going to pay to do it! Streaming from the surface to the xbox works better using the youtube sites own remote button instead of the play to on windows as well.
  • I can't really agree with you there. The UI on the X1 app sucks big time. I can find the video I want far faster on my phone, while I wait for the YouTube app to launch on my X1, and then play it right away.
  • Somebody knows if this app works with Roku?
  • No, I don't believe it does.
  • It does work with Roku.  It did not when Roku did not have an official YouTube app but it does now. Reading the comments I don't think that people really understand what this app does.  Tubecast will download the video into isolated storage and send that video file to your Roku.  This is not Chromecast, in which the Roku would be forced to download the video from the Internet on its own, and the client would simply inform the Roku where it needs to go to find the video.  Chromecast is like a remote control for a TV set, but it doesn't do anything other than that. If you have a slow connection, or you're running a mobile hotspot this is the app you want to use because you download your videos elsewhere, go home and then send that video directly from the phone to the Roku, and it would play as though you had a fast Internet connection.  Direct connections still run into limitations on HD videos that are larger than 1 GB but for SD videos this should work without pause, and without buffering.  I usually come in at around 250 kbps for direct connections, and only 20 kbps on my throttled connection.  Your mileage may vary depending on a number of different factors.  But to the Roku question, I have tried it using an older 2nd generation Roku and it does work. 
  • Nope tried it. But miracast to roku is great and fast.
  • I just downloaded the app and it's really nice although I just noticed that my 1520 was kinda warm on the back and burned through 9% of my battery in 30 minutes. I'm going to keep using it and track the battery usage and overheating. That being said, I'm going to give it a go.
  • I also own a 1520 and it burns battery when playing HD videos, this is a fact, independently from the app.
  • I agree but I've used Metrotube for the last few months and didn't notice the battery hit nor the heat. I still like the app though
  • Ok we will investigate (but I didn't notice it burns more battery on 1020 and 520) and be careful if you use WP developer previews
  • I had download tha app, but my tha app is not showing
  • Your breath stinks dude. Brush your teeth and you will find the app
  • You sir, need to calm down xP
  • One og my favorite Apps ever. Wished there where more Apps supporting Chromecast
  • Great timing with this article. I just had some poeple over and was trying to use smartglass with the xbox one youtube app and had to do a pairing process that didn't end up working. I resorted to using the bing search and IE to find the video I was looking for. This was painful having to use IE to do this. I didn't know that youtube.com on a paired device has a send to xbox one option either.  I'll have to try these options out later.
  • Is there any youtube app on Windows 8.1 that does the same?
  • Pls improve the battery, it's a huge different when I watch video between MS YouTube compared with tubecast, it is more killing battery.
  • Did something change? I just don't see my chromecast in the list of devices supported. I waited for long, my chromecast was connected to TV and yes we are on same WIFI. Devices just says "Windows Phone" and "Windows Video" and that's it. PLease help, I would love to buy app if this just works :)
  • it is not that Microsoft does not have a YouTube app yet. I was blocked by google. ​