Broken Chromecast? Google issues fix, and now you must take action to start streaming again

Google Chromecast and Chromecast Audio were first launched back in 2015 and have remained surprisingly popular for their no-frills ability to beam TV shows, movies, sports coverage, photos, Chrome browser tabs, and more to the big screen from your phone or tablet with a few taps

GOOGLE PRESS OFFICE
Aaron Brown

By Aaron Brown


Published: 18/03/2025

- 09:59

The amount of time it'll take to fix your Chromecast depends entirely on whether you reset it or not

If your Chromecast suddenly stopped working last week — Google has some very welcome news. The Californian company has started to roll out a final fix for second-generation Chromecast and Chromecast Audio devices, which were impacted by a global outage earlier this month.

Google issued a fix for some devices at the end of last week. However, those who didn't follow its critical advice or spotted the warning too late — and factory reset their streaming gadgets in the wake of the issues were still unable to stream. Thankfully, Google has now started to roll-out an update that rectifies that issues for everyone who was impacted. Phew.

If you did not factory reset your Chromecast, then provided your device is connected to Wi-Fi, the fix should be installed automatically.

You can check if your device has received the update by looking for specific firmware versions: 1.56.467165 for Chromecast (2nd gen) or 1.56.467166 for Chromecast Audio. If your Chromecast hasn't updated automatically, Google recommends rebooting it to start the update process.

However, if you did ignore the advice the factory reset your Chromecast or Chromecast Audio, you'll need to take action.

Google has released a Google Home app update to resolve the issue. The update — version 3.30.1.6 for Android, 3.30.106 for iOS — includes the ability to set up and revive Chromecasts that were reset during troubleshooting.

"For users who have performed a factory reset, you will need to update your Google Home app to the latest version," Google explained. The Google Home app update is rolling out from today but “may take a few days to roll out to everyone," the US technology giant admitted.

To check if you've received it, visit the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and look for updates. Once you've installed the newest version of the Google Home app, you'll need to pair the Chromecast or Chromecast Audio from scratch again — like you did during the intial setup.

chromecast audio pictured on a white background

Chromecast Audio unlocked the ability to stream from apps like Spotify and YouTube Music to any speaker with a 3.5mm input with a few taps

GOOGLE PRESS OFFICE

During this process, the latest update will restore functionality to the device.

The widespread outage began on Sunday March 9, with only Chromecast devices released in 2015 seemingly impacted by the issues. The problems have plagued Chromecast viewers for several days — leaving them unable to stream content from the likes of YouTube, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Prime Video, and others.

"Do not factory reset your device — we will keep you all updated when the fix rolls out," a spokesperson for Google clarified in the wake of the issues. The only problem with that advice? Resetting a device is usually one of the most tried-and-tested ways to fix a software glitch like this — and Google didn't issue the advice until a few hours into the outage.

As such, many frustrated users have already attempted resets, with one lamenting on social media: "Factory reset is literally the first thing I did when my Chromecast stopped working."

"Google asking everyone to please not factory reset their Chromecast after hours when it's one of the most used fixes, is hilarious," commented one user on social media.

The timing of the widespread issues with the second-generation Chromecast and Chromecast Audio coincide with the 10-year anniversary of these devices, , which plug directly into the HDMI port on the back of your telly and let you wirelessly beam TV shows, movies, YouTube videos, photos, games, Chrome tabs, and music to the big screen. The timing sparked speculation that Google might be quietly discontinuing support.

Users attempting to wirelessly Cast content are met with error messages stating: "Untrusted device: [device name] couldn't be verified. This could be caused by outdated device firmware." Alternatively, some saw: "We couldn't authenticate your Chromecast."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Experts claim to have identified the root cause as an expired security certificate that lapsed on March 9, 2025, after 10 years of validity. This certificate was created by Google to handle authentication. With it expired, the devices are blocked from securely connecting to Google's backend systems.

Newer models such as third-generation Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra devices, remained unaffected by the issue.

Google says any further information about the issues will be shared on its Google Nest Community page. A spokesperson for the company wrote: "We sincerely apologise for this disruption and any inconvenience it may have caused, and we are committed to ensuring all users are back up and running as quickly as possible."

TechGoogleAndroidStreaming