The original Google Chromecast was, and still is, a thing of wonder. It let you cast content from apps on your smartphone to your TV without the need for an expensive streaming device. Sure, getting it set up was a tad frustrating, especially when away from home, but as a first generation device it was a winner. Google, and the Android OS itself, have moved on from those heady days where each new feature was a discovery rather than an iteration, and now it's time for the the original Chromecast to follow suit thanks to the search giant announing the end of software support for the device.
It's hard to believe that the original Chromecast has been with us for ten years but it's been usurped in terms of usefulness, performance, and ease of setup by the Chromecast with Google TV devices and last received an update in November 2022.
The last update carries version number 1.36.159268 which you may want to check has rolled out to your device. According to the Chromecast support page (spotted by 9to5Google), the following announcement was posted:
“Support for Chromecast (1st gen) has ended, which means these devices no longer receive software or security updates, and Google does not provide technical support for them. Users may notice a degradation in performance,”
As for what you need to do with your original Chromecast, the answer for now is absolutely nothing. Carry on using it the way you usually do as it should work normally for a while until you see its performance degrade in the months ahead.
Do you plan to upgrade to one of the new Chromecast with Google TV streaming devices?
