Chromecast 2nd Gen and Audio Devices Hit by ‘Untrusted’ Outage: Google Working on Fix

Chromecast (2nd Gen) and Audio Devices Face 'Untrusted' Outage

Over the past few days, owners of the Chromecast (2nd gen) and Chromecast Audio have been experiencing an issue where they cannot cast any audio or video content. This problem has persisted for several days, leading to widespread frustration among users.

Key Points:

• Symptoms: Users see an 'Untrusted device: [name] couldn’t be verified' message when attempting to cast from apps like YouTube. The dialog box can only be closed, and no workarounds resolve the issue.
• Scope: This affects all users of these two Chromecast models, while newer models remain unaffected.
• Company Response: Google has acknowledged the issue and is working on a fix. They have advised against factory resetting the devices, as this can complicate re-setup efforts.
• Timeline: As of March 12th, no timeline for a resolution has been provided beyond 'as soon as possible.'
• User Impact: Many users are concerned that their devices may be bricked or approaching end-of-life. However, the issue is more likely a bug, given the lack of official deprecation announcements.

Background:

• The affected Chromecast models were released in September 2015 and run firmware version 1.56.x.
• Google has not deprecated these devices officially, unlike the original Chromecast (1st gen), which was announced for end-of-life support in May 2023 but continues to function.

User Reactions:

• Some users have reported trying factory resets and re-additions via Google Home without success.

Outlook:

Google is expected to release a server-side fix soon, addressing the 'Untrusted' issue and restoring normal functionality to these devices.