- The original Chromecasts have been fixed by a Google update
- Several users reported that their dongles had stopped working
- Gemini appears on Chromecast 4K with Google TV models
A couple of days ago it seemed like it was the end of the road for the original first-generation Chromecast released in 2013: several users reported that their dongles had stopped working, but it seems that the death of these devices has been greatly exaggerated.
According to Android Authority, Google has now acknowledged the problem with these older Chromecasts and released a fix. “The issue affecting the ability to cast some services to Chromecast devices has been resolved,” Google says.
That doesn’t mean these Chromecasts will suddenly become fully supported again (Google officially stopped releasing updates for first-generation models in 2023), but it looks like these devices will be around for a while yet.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that streaming apps must also be compatible with older hardware – Peacock+ is one of the apps you won’t be able to get working on a 2013 Chromecast because it’s no longer supported.
Now with Gemini added
In more Chromecast update news, the Chromecast with Google TV has received a major overhaul from Gemini AI, as reported by Android Headlines and others. For now, it appears that only the 4K model has the update, and not the HD version.
While Gemini has already arrived on Google TV Streamer, it was unclear if older Chromecast devices would receive any AI updates: Google has stopped selling them and is unsure if the hardware can be compatible with Gemini.
I now have the Gemini update on my own Chromecast 4K with Google TV. There’s an all-new Gemini screen to explore, allowing you to create images and execute voice prompts just as you do within the Gemini apps for web and mobile.
It makes sense that this device would get Gemini, since it essentially runs the same operating system as the Google TV Streamer. Older Chromecasts, on the other hand, don’t have any built-in software of their own and are controlled by the device doing the casting.
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