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Google has pushed back against reports that it was axing security updates for the vast majority of its Chromecast devices—barring one exception—which circulated earlier this week.
First launched in 2013, Google’s Chromecast lineup allowed users to stream video, music, and games from their phone, tablet, or computer to a TV using a small portable dongle inserted into the TV’s HDMI port. It competed with products like Amazon’s Fire Stick and the Apple TV. The device reportedly sold 10 million units by 2014.
According to an update to the support page for Google Nest devices, first reported by Android Authority earlier this week, the following devices would no longer receive support updates:
In contrast, Chromecast with Google TV (4K), which debuted in 2020 and offered users a 4K streaming experience with a remote, was to continue to receive security updates.
But in a later statement to 9to5Google, the tech giant said it is not cutting “critical security updates” for Chromecast devices, and instead that the “support article in question incorrectly indicated deprecation of software support for legacy Chromecast devices.”
“Google is not ending support for Google Chromecasts, and the support page has since been updated with the latest and most accurate information,” said the spokesperson.
In addition, despite the recent fears of some users, Chromecast devices are still set to remain functional for the time being. Earlier this week, numerous Reddit users reported that their first-gen Chromecast stopped being able to cast from popular apps such as Chrome, YouTube, and Paramount+. This raised concerns that Google had intentionally killed off the devices to force upgrades.
However, Sahana Mysore told Ars Technica earlier this week that Google didn’t kill the devices. Mysore chalked the reports up to “a technical issue [that] temporarily disrupted casting for some Gen 1 Google Chromecast users.”
“Our team quickly identified the root cause and resolved the issue,” she added.
The Chromecast lineup was replaced by the Google TV Streamer in 2024, now Google's only first-party Google TV media hub, which includes some features powered by Google’s Gemini AI bot.