One of Google’s first true hit pieces of hardware, 2013’s Chromecast, is starting to stop working for some users are more reports of failing streams surface.
Update 5/22: Google has fixed first-gen Chromecast issues, saying in a statement to ArsTechnica:
Earlier this week, a technical issue temporarily disrupted casting for some Gen 1 Google Chromecast users. Our team quickly identified the root cause and resolved the issue.
Users have already found that the problem has been resolved.
The first-gen Chromecast was released in 2013 with the simple pitch of being able to cast content from apps on your phone or other devices to your TV. No remote or other apps required, just a quick tap. It proved to be a hit, with the $35 device spawning two direct sequels and Google Cast tech that remains widely used today. But updates for that first-gen device ended in 2023. Google didn’t directly cut off functionality, but warned users that they “may notice a degradation in performance.”
Over the past few weeks, we’ve noticed more and more isolated reports of failing Chromecast operations on first-gen devices, but a new Reddit thread makes it clear something has changed.
The post’s author says that two of their first-gen Chromecast models have stopped working in various apps, and there are a lot of similar stories in the replies. One user notes that some apps, like Disney+ and Spotify, still work, while apps like YouTube, HBO Max, and others won’t even show the first-gen Chromecast as a streaming target. But this all seems to vary from person to person. The only connecting thread is that, as of the last few days, first-gen Chromecast devices are failing much more frequently.
So what’s going on?
The first-gen Chromecast, as mentioned, hasn’t received updates since 2023. It was never going to keep working forever, and there have been various drops in support over the years. Peacock, as just one example, explicitly doesn’t support the first-gen Chromecast. Still, it’s odd that multiple other apps have suddenly just stopped working, and so inconsistently too. As mentioned, we’ve been seeing mounting reports of this in recent weeks, and it’s been very common to see isolated issues over the past couple of years, many of which were often solved by a reboot. This latest wave of issues seems to signal that the first-gen Chromecast’s time is ending, but Google has yet to explicitly say as such – as far as we can see, there’s been no comment on this latest wave, and it’s very likely that any comment from Google would simply refer to 2023’s EOL notice.
The door isn’t fully closed just yet, but it does look like we’re approaching the true end of the first-gen Chromecast – RIP.
So far, the second-gen Chromecast and other devices, like Chromecast Audio, are still working properly following a cast fix update that rolled out in early 2025.
If you’re still using a first-gen Chromecast and experiencing issues, let us know in the comments below.
More on Chromecast:
- Netflix likely killed off Google Cast support because no one’s really casting anymore
- Google’s reason for ending the Chromecast makes sense, but there’s an obvious problem
- Google on the 11-year history of Chromecast as the lineup comes to an end
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