- Original Chromecasts were fixed by a Google update
- Several users reported that their dongles stopped working
- Gemini appears on Chromecast 4K with Google TV models
A few days ago, it seemed like it was the end of the road for the original, first-generation Chromecast that launched in 2013: several users reported that their dongles stopped working, but it seems that the death of these devices has been greatly exaggerated.
According to Android Authority, Google has now acknowledged the issue with these older Chromecasts and has rolled out a fix. “An issue affecting the ability to stream certain services to Chromecast devices has been resolved,” Google says.
This doesn’t mean these Chromecasts are fully supported again – Google officially stopped releasing updates for the first generation models in 2023 – but it looks like these devices will still work for a while.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that streaming apps must also support older hardware: Peacock+ is one of the apps that you won’t be able to use on a 2013 Chromecast, as it is no longer compatible.
Now with Gemini added
In other Chromecast update news, the Chromecast with Google TV has received a significant overhaul from Gemini AI, as reported by Android Headlines and others. For now, it appears that only the 4K model is getting the update, not the HD version.
Although Gemini has already arrived on Google TV Streamer, it was unclear whether older Chromecast devices would get AI upgrades: Google has stopped selling them, and it’s unclear whether the hardware can support Gemini.
I now have the Gemini upgrade on my own Chromecast 4K with Google TV. There’s an all-new Gemini screen to explore, which lets you create images and perform voice prompts, just like you can in the Gemini apps for web and mobile.
It makes sense that this device gets Gemini, as it runs essentially the same operating system as Google TV Streamer. On the other hand, older Chromecasts don’t have real built-in software and are controlled by the device doing the casting.
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