Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A Redditor has discovered that the second-generation Chromecast has an expired certificate authority, which is causing it to fail device authentication and stop working and being set up.
- As a workaround, users can bypass device authentication by following the steps mentioned below.
- If you have factory reset your Chromecast, you can set your phone’s date back to March 8, 2025, and potentially proceed with the setup. When you are done setting up the Chromecast, you can correct your phone’s date.
Second-generation Chromecast and Chromecast Audio devices have not been working for users these past couple of days. The devices are failing to cast content, frustrating users who rely on them for their casting needs. Google is aware of the issue and is working on fixing it. In the meantime, the company is advising users not to factory reset their non-functional Chromecasts. If you’re scratching your head about what exactly is happening, we have more information to share, including possible workarounds for enthusiasts.
Why is the second-generation Chromecast not able to cast anymore?
Reddit user tchebb spent some time troubleshooting the cause of failing Chromecasts. According to the Redditor’s investigation, Google issued an intermediate CA (Certificate Authority) with a validity period of only 10 years for second-generation Chromecast devices, and the CA has expired. Consequently, Google apps that rely on this CA fail to validate the Chromecast as a genuine device and refuse to communicate with it, including during the initial setup.
The Redditor mentions that Google has a few routes to fix the issue, though all of these are technical and beyond the scope of this article. Long story short, Google needs some time to fix the problem, as it will likely require syncing up with the release cycles of Chrome, Google Play Services, and the Google Home app. iOS apps that embed the Cast SDK may take even longer to resolve the issue.
The Redditor mentions that they checked their first-generation Chromecast, and its CA certificate has a 20-year validity, which is why the older device continues to work while the relatively newer one faces issues. Curiously, until 2016, it seems that Chromium’s certificate verification code didn’t validate expiration time at all. So whoever issued these certificates probably didn’t expect the validation to be checked, which Chromium (and possibly other Google clients and apps) started checking later on as per convention.
Workarounds to fix Chromecast authentication issues
The Redditor has posted a few workarounds that let users cast again on their second-generation Chromecast. Google will release the final fix, but you can try these workarounds if you have the technical knowledge and cannot wait for the official fix.
Fix casting from Android (GUI method)
- Download and install an activity manager app, like the free and open-source Activity Manager app.
- Launch the app and select Intent Launcher from the dropdown menu in the upper right corner.
- Tap the edit icon next to the Action field and type/paste this: com.google.android.gms.cast.settings.CastSettingsCollapsingDebugAction
- On Android 11 and below, type/paste this instead: com.google.android.gms.cast.settings.CastSettingsDebugAction
- Leave the other fields blank, and tap the checkmark button in the lower right corner.
- In the Cast Debug settings panel that pops up, scroll down to Connection and enable Bypass Device Auth.
This workaround forces open the Cast Debug settings page and lets you enable the Bypass Device Auth option (i.e., it allows you to turn off device authentication), partially fixing the issue. You should now be able to cast from apps, and the Google Home app should also partially work.
Once Google rolls out a fix, you can redo the steps above to disable the option and revert to your original settings.
Other methods
The Redditor has shared other methods, too. You can do the same steps above but using ADB instead of an activity launcher app. If you rely on Chrome and browser-related casting, you can add the expired certificate as a root of trust, which bypasses expiration date checks. You can check out the original post for instructions on these methods, as the GUI method is the easiest to follow and should work for most use cases.
Workaround to fix device setup with the Google Home Android app
If you ended up factory resetting your Chromecast, you need to set it up again before you can use the steps above. While we recommend waiting for Google to issue a fix, there is a workaround that you can try out if you are impatient.
The simple workaround for setting up the Chromecast with your phone is to set your phone’s date to before March 9, 2025. This should then allow you to go through the Chromecast setup process without throwing any authentication errors.
Once the Chromecast is set up, you can correctly set your phone’s date and follow the workarounds mentioned above to fix the casting issue. The success rate on this workaround is a mixed bag, so try your luck.
Did these workarounds help fix your casting issues on the second-generation Chromecast and Chromecast Audio? Let us know what worked in the comments below!
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