Google’s first Chromecast was a hit. With sales of 10 million units in 2014, it proved to be excellent as an easy solution to stream TV and movies from the Internet to the TV. Released at a time when dumb TVs were more common, the first-generation Chromecast has a simplicity you don’t find in streaming devices these days. Press “Cast” in the app, select a TV with Chromecast, and start watching. Despite Google ending support for the $35 device in 2023, barring additional features like the UI or ads, the device is still active in some homes today.
However, this week it seemed as if those days were over. Many people reported that their original Chromecast has suddenly stopped casting from popular apps including Chrome, YouTube, and Paramount+. This raised concerns about what the original Chromecast was really died Now. The Reddit thread was started by someone who claimed that two first-generation Chromecasts suddenly stopped working at the same time, with various reactions from people who suspected that Google had shut down the devices to force an upgrade.
But Google Home senior product manager Sahana Mysore told Ars Technica today that Google isn’t killing the devices, saying:
Earlier this week, a technical issue temporarily disrupted casting for some Gen 1 Google Chromecast users. Our team immediately identified the root cause and resolved the issue.
According to Mysore, now all the equipment will start working. As of last night, some people online have reported that their Chromecasts are working again.
Ars asked what exactly the technical issue was and we will update this article if we hear more.
Another point of stress for owners of older Chromecasts this week is a report today that Google is ending support for every Chromecast except the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) starting in 2022. However, at the time of this writing, the support page still lists all Chromecasts except the first generation Chromecast as “currently receiving important security updates.”
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