A perplexing issue is hindering many users of the older Chromecast models, particularly the second-generation Chromecast and Chromecast Audio, which debuted in September 2015. A thread on Reddit has highlighted the situation. If you’re experiencing difficulties, it’s advisable to refrain from performing a factory reset, as Google is actively implementing a solution.

This bug has emerged in the last week, essentially rendering affected devices unusable. One of the troubling error messages states: “Untrusted device: [name] couldn’t be verified. This could be caused by outdated device firmware.”

Users have conducted further examinations, suggesting that the problem originates from Google’s servers rather than the devices themselves. It appears that expired security certificates are causing these Chromecast units to be misidentified as unsafe for connection.

In light of this, Chromecast users find themselves with no immediate remedies aside from waiting patiently, enduring a lack of audio or video streaming capabilities. While some have attempted various troubleshooting strategies, such as reconnecting to Wi-Fi or performing factory resets, these steps have yielded no viable solutions.

Notably, Google has explicitly advised against factory resetting your device, contradicting the initial instinct to troubleshoot in that manner. Although the precise nature of the issue remains somewhat unclear, the company is in the process of rolling out a fix and will provide guidance for users who may have reset their devices unsuccessfully.

Good News: A Solution Is On the Way

In an initial update, Google acknowledged the situation, stating, “We’re aware of an emerging issue impacting Chromecast 2nd-gen and Chromecast Audio devices and are working on a fix. Do not factory reset your device—we will keep you all updated when the fix rolls out. If you have already factory reset your device, we will provide instructions to set your device back up as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.”

While details were sparse, the acknowledgment was a positive step. Recently, on Thursday, Google updated their support page to indicate that a solution would be rolled out “over the next few days.” Importantly, the company stated that devices need to be connected to the internet to receive this update, raising hopes that the problems could be resolved by Sunday.

If you mistakenly performed a factory reset, Google acknowledges that reconfiguring your device may not be possible at this time. Their guidance is simply to wait as they tackle this issue on their side. There’s a rather involved workaround discussed on Reddit, but unless immediate action is necessary, it may be best to exercise patience until the official fix is available.

Despite concerns that older devices might be phased out given their nearing a decade in service, this issue does not appear to indicate any such plans. Although the Chromecast line has now been discontinued and new streaming devices will not be released, Google has not announced any intention to withdraw support for existing models. Functionality remains intact for Chromecast integration within TVs equipped with Google TV and the new Google TV Streamer.