Over the past weekend, numerous second-generation Chromecast devices unexpectedly stopped functioning, leaving users frustrated and bewildered. Many took to Reddit to voice their concerns, revealing a noticeable pattern: only the second-generation devices were impacted, while the first and third generations remained operational.
Initially, there were worries that Google had abandoned support for these devices, but the tech giant has not indicated any such intentions. Google has acknowledged the issue and is actively working towards a solution. The exact cause of the malfunction is still unclear, but it appears to stem from a problem related to Google’s end rather than any error on the users’ part. This suggests that users may simply need to wait for a server-side fix to become available.
According to an investigation by a Reddit user known as u/tchebb, the issue arises from the expiration of the Chromecast’s device authentication certificate. By reviewing error logs within Chrome, u/tchebb was able to link part of the issue to an expiring intermediate certificate authority (CA), which was supposed to remain valid until March 9, 2025, but appears to have expired prematurely.
The problem manifests when attempting to cast content to the Chromecast, resulting in an error message that states: “Untrusted device: [name] couldn’t be verified. This may be due to outdated device firmware.” This error blocks further action, forcing users to close the dialog box. Reports indicate that this issue frequently occurs with applications like YouTube, and it comes at a particularly inconvenient time, as many Pixel users are experiencing screen brightness problems following a recent update.
It’s important to stress that this error does not indicate the discontinuation of support for Chromecast devices. Google has confirmed there is indeed a problem with the second-generation Chromecast, and a fix is already underway. While the company has a track record of discontinuing device support, it typically provides advance notice before doing so. For instance, Google announced the termination of support for the first-generation Chromecast in May 2023, yet those devices are still functioning today.
With any luck, Google will swiftly resolve the issue, allowing your streaming device to be operational once again.
