I stream a lot from my Chromecast with Google TV — it’s compact, responsive, and the UI makes jumping between apps painless. But I also want my streaming to be private and free from obnoxious trackers and ads where possible. Over the years I’ve tried multiple approaches to run a VPN and adblocking on a Chromecast with Google TV, and in this guide I’ll walk you through the practical options I use, why I choose them, and how to troubleshoot common problems.
Why bother: what a VPN and adblocker actually protect
Before we get technical, let’s be clear on what each tool does. A VPN encrypts traffic between your device (or router) and a VPN server, hiding your ISP-level activity and giving you a different IP address. That helps with privacy on public networks and can bypass geographic restrictions (with caveats). An adblocker — implemented as DNS filtering (e.g. Pi-hole, AdGuard Home) or an in-app solution — blocks requests to known ad, tracker, and telemetry domains. Together they stop many forms of tracking and advertising and reduce unwanted background requests from apps on your Chromecast.
Two main approaches I use
I generally choose between two architectures depending on how much control I want and what gear I have:
1) Router-level VPN + DNS adblock (best for whole-home coverage)
This is my go-to when I want every device — including my Chromecast — protected without installing anything on the Chromecast itself.
What you need
Steps
Pros and cons
| Pros | Protects every device, centralised control, works with devices that don’t support VPN apps, Pi-hole blocks trackers before they reach devices. |
| Cons | Router configuration can be complex; some routers can’t handle WireGuard/OpenVPN well or are too slow, streaming services may block VPN IPs, a single point of failure if VPN or Pi-hole goes down. |
2) VPN app on Chromecast with Google TV
Google TV runs Android TV OS, and many major VPNs provide an Android TV app you can install from the Play Store (ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, etc.). This is the easiest method if you only care about the Chromecast device itself.
Steps
Pros and cons
| Pros | Device-specific, easy to set up, no router changes required, good if you only want to protect the Chromecast. |
| Cons | Doesn’t protect other devices, some VPN apps lack split tunneling on Android TV, sideloading an APK can be necessary for smaller providers and risks app instability. |
Adblocking options when you use a VPN app
If you use a VPN app but want adblocking, you have a few choices:
Handling streaming services and VPNs
Streaming platforms (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime) actively block many VPN IPs. If your goal is privacy rather than unfettered geo-unblocking, a reputable provider with streaming-optimised servers (and frequent IP rotation) helps. I also keep a non-VPN DNS for services that refuse connections — many routers let you do selective routing or split tunneling at the router level.
Advanced fallback: virtual router from a PC
If your router doesn’t support VPN clients and you don’t want to flash it, you can run the VPN on a PC and create a Wi‑Fi hotspot that routes through the VPN. On Windows that’s the “Mobile hotspot” feature combined with Internet Connection Sharing; on macOS you can use Internet Sharing. This is a flexible short-term approach but requires the PC to be on.
Security and privacy checks I always run
Performance tips
Troubleshooting common issues
Finally: avoid free VPNs for streaming privacy — they tend to be slow, loggy, or inject ads. I stick to paid providers with transparent policies and WireGuard support, and I run Pi-hole or AdGuard Home on inexpensive hardware for reliable DNS-based adblocking. With a little configuration up front, my Chromecast with Google TV becomes a much more private, less noisy streaming box — and I don’t have to wrestle with ads or unwanted tracking during movie night.
