Due to an expired security certificate, devices are unable to cast on Google's second-generation Chromecast and Chromecast Audio, causing a significant and ongoing outage. The tech giant has acknowledged the issue and claims that a solution is in development.
Many users of these devices were unable to cast video to TVs and other screens on Sunday due to an "untrusted device" message. Tech-savvy internet users quickly identified the cause of the problem as an expired intermediate certificate authority, which Google had established to manage authentication for the affected devices, as reported by The Register.
This authority had been in effect for ten years before it expired on March 9, 2025. As a result, models relying on this authority can no longer safely connect to Google's backend services or authenticate themselves.
In an update posted on the Google Nest community site—where Chromecast support now appears to be located—the company stated: "Do not factory reset your device—we will keep you updated when the fix rolls out. If you have already factory reset your device, we will provide instructions on how to set your device up again as soon as possible."
{{/usCountry}}In an update posted on the Google Nest community site—where Chromecast support now appears to be located—the company stated: "Do not factory reset your device—we will keep you updated when the fix rolls out. If you have already factory reset your device, we will provide instructions on how to set your device up again as soon as possible."
{{/usCountry}}This update came over a day into the outage, and no new information has emerged since. We have contacted Google for further details and will continue to keep you informed. Since the problem is rooted in the certificate issue built into the devices, a factory reset will not resolve it.
There is still hope for getting your equipment working again, whether or not you have already performed a factory reset. Maciej Mensfeld, a Polish security researcher, provided a user guide on how to fix this. His solution is to try reauthorizing the Chromecast after changing the date on your phone to a time before March 9, 2025. However, not everyone responds well to this approach, and it may take several attempts. Furthermore, even after using this workaround, issues could persist with streaming services like Spotify.
Last year, the Google TV streamer was released by Google, which also quietly ended support and updates for the Chromecast device line starting in 2023. Ongoing online discussions show that many people still rely on these devices. There is no evidence to support rumors that problems like the recent certificate authority expiration are intentional efforts by Google to promote updates.
Also read: Microsoft is shutting down Skype: Here’s how to transition to Teams smoothly
In 2023, Microsoft faced similar issues when cameras on Surface Pro X tablets became inoperable due to an expired security certificate. In the same year, Cisco was criticized after its SD-WAN equipment experienced disruptions due to an expired certificate. Additionally, in 2021, Let's Encrypt allowed a root certificate to expire, causing important websites and services on unupdated devices to stop functioning