Google Rolls Out Fix for Bricked Chromecast Devices, But There’s a Catch

Google has begun rolling out a fix for an issue that rendered Chromecast 2nd Gen and Chromecast Audio devices inoperable due to an expired security certificate.

The update is being deployed gradually, and affected devices must remain online to receive it.

The issue first emerged around March 9, 2025, when users reported that their devices had stopped working, preventing casting and setup. Initial troubleshooting efforts, including factory resets, did not resolve the problem. Google acknowledged the situation in a support forum post and advised users against performing a factory reset, as this could make a recovery more difficult.

“We have started to roll out a fix for the problem with Chromecast (2nd gen) and Chromecast Audio devices, which will be completed over the next few days. Your device must be connected to receive the update,” wrote the Google Nest Team.

Technical investigations by users and independent researchers revealed that the root cause was an expired intermediate certificate. Chromecast devices rely on this certificate to authenticate with Google's servers. When it expired, affected devices were unable to verify their legitimacy, effectively blocking their functionality.

Many Chromecasts now offline from factory resets

A Reddit user examined the update file and confirmed that the only significant change was the replacement of the expired certificate with a new one that extends its validity until 2045. Because the new certificate retains the same key, no major development or testing was required for the fix. However, Google now faces the challenge of ensuring all affected devices receive the update, particularly those that are currently offline.

For users who factory reset their devices before Google's fix was available, setup remains problematic. Google has stated it is working on a solution for these cases. Meanwhile, some users have reported temporary workarounds, such as manually setting their phone's date back to before March 9, 2025, to complete the setup.

This incident has raised concerns about Google's long-term support for aging hardware, with some users speculating about the company's commitment to legacy devices and some declaring they had already ordered Amazon Fire Sticks and Roku devices.