For those who might not have a smart TV, or those who want a much easier way to cast content from an external device to their TVs, the Google Chromecast exists for you. It’s a nifty little piece of hardware from Google that can do as little as helping you cast videos, to providing full-blown smart TV functionality.
I’m not one that needs to convince you to buy a Chromecast since they’re already incredibly popular. However, if you do have one, you may have noticed issues when trying to use your Chromecast—particularly the 2nd gen model or the Chromecast Audio; you’re far from alone in that. However, don’t factory reset just yet.
The Google Chromecast (2nd Gen) and Chromecast Audio Are Facing Authentication Problems
The second-gen Google Chromecast and the Chromecast Audio launched all the way back in 2015. That makes both devices ten years old, which is certainly old in the fast-moving tech industry. However, it doesn’t make them old enough to stop working out of the blue, which is something that potentially thousands of customers are currently facing as they try to use their Chromecasts.
Several reports on Reddit suggest that users attempting to use their Chromecasts are unable to connect, with some receiving an error message stating, “We couldn’t authenticate your Chromecast.” The problem seems to be specific to the Chromecast products that were released as part of the second generation, as newer Chromecast models don’t seem to be affected.
The entire problem points to a problem on Google’s side of business. While my first instinct would have been that the problem was due to a bad update, the issue seems to be essentially universal for second-gen Chromecast owners, which makes it more likely to be a server-side problem. Some people are surmising that it’s intentional sabotage to push the Google TV Streamer.
How Can I Get My Chromecast Working Again?
Needless to say, you might not care too much about what’s causing the problem, and you might want to know more about how you can fix it and get back to enjoying content on your big screen. The good thing is that Google is well aware of the problem, so the fix shouldn’t be miles away, hopefully.
Some users have tried to restart the device, reinstall Google Home, clear their cache, and even factory reset, but the problem still persists. In fact, Google explicitly recommends that users don’t attempt to factory reset their Chromecasts. For those who already have, the tech giant says you should be patient, as it’ll eventually tell you what to do to get your device up and running again.
One sleuth on Reddit was able to find out that the problem seems to be due to an invalid security certificate that expired on March 9th, 2025, for the two affected models. There does happen to be a workaround for the problem, but it is quite involved and might not be worth the risk for those who aren’t quite as tech-savvy. If you are going to follow the steps, it is best that you do so at your own risk.
