Google Rolls Out Fix For Borked Chromecast Dongles, How To Get It

by · HotHardware

Google is making good on its promise to fix a recent issue with older Chromecast dongles that, for a period of time, made them appear either deprecated or otherwise bricked. At the time, we reported on a handful of workarounds that some users said restored their device, but if you own an affected model, you'll want to snatch Google's new update.

The quirky issue affects both second generation Chromecast streaming devices that plug into a displays HDMI port, and Chromecast Audio dongles, both of which Google released a decade ago (September 2015). Seemingly out of the blue, owners of those models reported seeing "Untrusted device" error messages when attempting to cast.

In some cases, the error message would go on to state that their dongle might be having issues due to "outdated device firmware," while in other cases, the error message simply stated Google "couldn't authenticate your Chromecast." Regardless of the precise wording, the end result was the same—a Chromecast dongle that would no longer function.

After reports began to pile up, Google acknowledged the issue and said it was working on a fix. That was on Monday. As we head into the weekend, Google followed up with a statement saying it's begun rolling out a fix, along with guidance on how to make sure affected devices receive it.

"Hey everyone, thank you for your patience while we work to resolve this issue. Here's the latest: 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," Google states.

"Your device must be connected to receive the update. 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," Google adds.

When Google first acknowledged the issue, it emphatically stated that users should not attempt a factory reset. That messaging came a bit too late for some, and if you fall into that camp, you may have to wait a bit longer for a fix. On the bright side, it sounds like Google is committed to making sure it gets those back up and running as well.

Alternatively, affected owners could take it as a sign that it's time to upgrade to a newer dongle. Some options include...