Google Advises Users of Inactive Chromecasts Against Resetting Them
Google’s second-generation Chromecast and Chromecast Audio devices are currently experiencing a significant outage. Many users are reporting issues casting content, mainly due to an expired security certificate. Google is aware of this problem and is working on a solution.
On Sunday, numerous users encountered an error message indicating “untrusted device,” which prevented them from successfully casting to their TVs and other displays. Keen users on forums quickly identified that the root of the issue stemmed from an expired intermediate certificate authority (CA) used by Google to authenticate these devices. This certificate was valid for ten years and expired on March 9, 2025, at 16:44 UTC. As a result, devices that depend on this CA can no longer securely connect to Google’s backend systems for authorization, leading to casting failures.
In response to the situation, Google issued a statement acknowledging the issue with Chromecast 2nd gen and Chromecast Audio devices and reassured users that they are working on a fix. The company also advised against performing a factory reset on the devices, as this is not a reliable solution. They plan to provide further instructions for those who may have already reset their devices once a fix is available.
As the outage continued throughout the following day, no additional updates were shared. The company’s communication highlights the complexity of the problem—a factory reset won’t address the underlying certificate issue.
For individuals who have attempted a factory reset or are seeking a workaround, there is some hope. Maciej Mensfeld, a Polish security researcher, has shared a potential solution. He suggests that users change their phone’s date to a time before March 9, 2025, and then try reauthorizing the Chromecast. However, this method does not work for everyone and has proven to require multiple attempts. Users should also note that some streaming services, like Spotify, may encounter ongoing issues even after following this workaround.
It is worth mentioning that Google discontinued the Chromecast product line last year, replacing it with the Google TV Streamer and gradually reducing support for the older devices starting in 2023. Despite these changes, many users still rely on Chromecast, as shown by continued discussions online. While some speculate that these incidents, like the expiration of the certificate authority, may be tactics by Google to push users toward newer products, there is no definitive evidence to support such theories.
This incident is not unique to Google; similar situations have occurred with other tech companies. In 2023, Microsoft faced challenges related to an expired security certificate that rendered cameras on Surface Pro X devices inoperable. Also that year, Cisco experienced difficulties when an expired certificate disrupted its SD-WAN appliances. Moreover, in 2021, Let’s Encrypt faced criticism when a root certificate expiration affected various major websites and services for devices that had not been updated.
In summary, the ongoing Chromecast outage illustrates the challenges that can arise from expired security certificates in technology. Users await a fix from Google while exploring alternative solutions to maintain their device functionality.
