Google has released the official Chromecast app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, allowing iOS users to use their mobile devices with the gadget.

Chromecast made its debut last month as a tiny HDMI dongle that connects to a television, allowing users to stream content such as music, movies or TV shows from their mobile devices or computers to a big-screen TV for more convenience. The gadget is cross-platform, which means that it is designed to work with any and all operating systems. Moreover, one of the most attractive aspects of the dongle is its very low price tag, as it retails for just $35.

The Chromecast app for Android has been out for a couple of weeks already and now the iOS app is available as well. Both versions of the app share similar features.

Apple device owners can now use the Chromecast app for iOS to set up and manage various settings of the streaming dongle. Users can adjust the basic settings, such as configuring the HDMI dongle to work with their preferred Wi-Fi network.

If more Chromecast dongles are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, the Chromecast app will also show all of those devices and display their status, showing when they're ready to stream content.

Chromecast currently supports content from Netflix, Google Play store, YouTube and the Google Chrome web browser. The tiny HDMI dongle stirred a lot of interested since its launch and it seems to be very popular among consumers. For Google, meanwhile, it's a move to take over the living room.

Google is already a big player in the software, smartphone and tablet markets, but it still has a way to go before conquering the living room. The Chromecast, however, brings it one step closer to achieving this goal and gives tough competition to similar devices currently available on the market.

The new Chromecast for iOS is now available for download from the iTunes App Store as a free app. Keep in mind, however, that it will only work on devices running iOS 5.1 firmware or newer. The app works for iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices.