Google Chromecast Outage: 'Untrusted Device' Error Blocks Users From Streaming—What's Going On?

The owners of the Chromecast (2nd Gen) and Chromecast Audio have not been able to cast audio or video content in the last few hours, which has left them frustrated and worried.

The problem is widespread, spanning across various apps and platforms. Tech Times has learned the complaints reached Reddit, where many users voiced out their concerns.

'Untrusted Device' Error Preventing Casting

As discovered by 9to5Google, users trying to stream content from apps such as YouTube or Spotify are greeted with a concerning message:

"Untrusted device: [device name] couldn't be verified. This might be caused by device firmware being outdated."

The error renders the user helpless, requiring the user to exit the dialog box with no way around it. Reboots, resets, or troubleshooting did not work. Nevertheless, screen saver mode in the devices functions as normal.

Only Older Chromecast Models Affected

Interestingly, the problem appears to be confined to Chromecast (2nd Gen) and Chromecast Audio alone. More recent models such as Chromecast (3rd Gen) and Chromecast Ultra are not affected, Android Police has learned.

This has also sparked rumors that Google may have bricked the devices or plans to discontinue them.

Is This a Bug or an End-of-Life Announcement?

Since there was no official end-of-life (EOL) announcement, this is probably a bug rather than an intended shutdown. Google ended support for the first-generation Chromecast in May 2023, but that device still works to this day.

Given that the Chromecast (2nd Gen) and Chromecast Audio were released in September 2015, they are two of Google's longest-standing streaming devices. They still have the most recent 1.56.x firmware, though, so it is unlikely that support has been discontinued without notice.

A Fix Could Be on the Way

With more and more users complaining about the problem, Google probably knows about it. Because the error seems to be device verification-related, a server-side patch might be all that's required to bring everything back online.

In the meantime, impacted users will have to wait for Google to push out a patch—or possibly verify if these devices are actually hitting their official end-of-life point.

'Chromecast Not Working' Complaints on Reddit

On Reddit, many users think that someone from Google pushed a bad update for Chromecast. The original poster wrote that they have been tired of constantly resetting the thing. They are thinking of replacing it since it has become an issue every other day.

"I've had mine on 24/7 for about a year. It would reset every day at around 4am and I haven't had a single problem until today. The device has been working for the last like 6 years and it was even supported with an iphone app," one user replied on the thread.

"This issue is completely server side. There is nothing we can do except wait it out. The chromecast will continuously spam the network with queries to google hostnames that will be processed, but doesnt give it what it needs to work. In essence, the devices themselves are not suddenly broken, but something on the connectivity servers is broken," another user figured out after experimenting with the network and checking any DNS queries.

"All my chromecast audio devices are showing offline in Google Home. Unable to cast my Spotify music directly from the app," another said. "Good thing I have Music-Assistant setup as it is the only thing able to cast music to my Chromecast Audio devices."

Originally published on Tech Times