If your Chromecast was one of the millions broken by a Google update, it’s time to try again. Google has launched a fresh update to replace the broken version, restoring functionality after a week of issues.
Why Did the Chromecasts Stop Working?
Early last week, millions of Chromecasts stopped working (particularly 2nd Generation Chromecasts). Unfortunately, Google was initially unsure as to why so many Chromecasts would suddenly fail. However, a keen-eyed Reddit user, Madhatter369, identified expired security certificates “baked into the Chromecast.”
Google still hasn’t confirmed what caused the issue (at least, not specifically), but the untrusted device error seems a likely culprit.
Update Your Chromecast to Fix It
In short, if your Chromecast has suddenly stopped working, you can try to update it again, and it should now work.
An official post from the GoogleNestTeam states that the fix is rolling out immediately. There’s also an update for the Google Home app, including a new option to revive your broken Chromecast.
We have started to roll out a fix for the problem with Chromecast (2nd gen) and Chromecast Audio devices, which will be completed over the next few days. Your device must be connected to receive the update.
However, the issue is slightly trickier if you attempted a factory reset.
If you performed a factory reset during initial troubleshooting, you may still be experiencing an issue where you cannot re-setup your device. We are working to resolve this as soon as possible. Please continue to check the Community page here for updates and next steps.
You’re still not completely out of luck, mind. The Google Support Page has a few user-posted fixes, while this Reddit thread also features several different fixes for various devices.
MakeUseOf hasn’t tested these fixes, so please proceed with caution while you wait for Google’s official fix.
