Google Chromecast outage: Is the 10-year cycle curse to blame for the gen 2 device's failure?

Chromecast users worldwide encountered issues with their 2nd Gen devices after Google announced its discontinuation. The problems began on Sunday evening, with many users reporting outages. DownDetector confirmed the disruption, which left Chromecast 2nd Gen owners struggling to get their devices working.

The evening soon turned into a frustrating ordeal for Chromecast users, as their devices stopped working for several hours. Adding to the frustration, Google did not issue an official statement, which sparked fears and confusion among users. “Google, WTF?! The 2nd gen Chromecast got a terrible update recently. Instead of an 'upgrade,' users are getting a downgrade. It's not just me, hundreds of users on Reddit are facing the same issue,” one frustrated user posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Another user tweeted, "Someone at Google is getting fired. It looks like every Chromecast has been bricked by a faulty software update. Oops!" While others chimed in, with one sarcastically congratulating Google, “Congratulations to @madebygoogle for managing to break everyone's Chromecast at 6 pm on a Sunday evening.”

Amidst the online chaos, it became clear that the “We couldn't authenticate your Chromecast” message was flooding social media, prompting concerns over the device’s functionality.

The outage came after Google officially announced the discontinuation of the Chromecast device, replacing it with the new Google TV Streamer. "The time has now come to evolve the smart TV streaming device category, which is evolving to incorporate AI, entertainment, and smart homes. Despite this, there will be no changes to our support policy for existing Chromecast devices, including continued software and security updates," the company stated in a blog post.

However, Google’s lack of communication on the outage led to further dissatisfaction. "Can Google actually acknowledge the Chromecast outage? They just keep asking people to DM them, but it’s obvious everyone is having the same issue. Why not let your customers know you’re trying to fix it?" a disappointed user wrote.

The Chromecast, first launched in 2013, was officially discontinued with the debut of the Google TV Streamer in August 2024. Although it had been phased out, the device remained available for purchase in the US until February 2025, when it was reported that the Chromecast stock had finally been removed from the Google Store.