Remember the original Chromecast? That $35 dongle that turned your dumb TV into a slightly less dumb TV? It was a hit - 10 million units sold in 2014 - and it still works in some homes today, despite Google ending support in 2023. But this week, a wave of reports hit Reddit: first-gen Chromecasts suddenly stopped casting from Chrome, YouTube, and Paramount+. Naturally, the internet’s first instinct was to assume Google had bricked the devices to force upgrades. Because why not?
Enter Sahana Mysore, senior product manager for Google Home, who told Ars Technica that Google did not, in fact, kill the devices. “Earlier this week, a technical issue temporarily disrupted casting for some Gen 1 Google Chromecast users,” she said. “Our team quickly identified the root cause and resolved the issue.” As of last night, some users reported their devices working again. So, crisis averted - unless you count the lingering existential dread of owning a device that’s technically unsupported.
To add insult to injury, a separate report today claimed Google ended support for every Chromecast except the 2022 Chromecast with Google TV (HD). But as of this writing, the support page still lists all models except the first-gen as “currently receiving critical security updates.” So, if you’re still rocking that original Chromecast, enjoy it while it lasts - and maybe don’t hold your breath for an explanation of what the “technical issue” actually was.