GoKawiilTL;DR Google has fixed an issue in the Google Home app that prevented some older Chromecast devices from being set up.
Affected users should update the Google Home app to the latest version 4.26 or newer and try again.
The fix clears up confusion over whether older devices had simply reached the end of their support.
Google’s oldest Chromecast dongles started running into problems earlier this year, with some users unable to use them with certain apps. Things got worse when an update to the Google Home app left some owners unable to set up their older devices. After weeks of frustrations, Google has finally resolved the setup issue.
Google confirmed the fix in an update to a Reddit thread where users reported problems setting up older Chromecast and Google Home devices. The company says the issue is resolved and recommends that affected users update the Google Home app to version 4.26 and try setting up their device again.
If the device still refuses to set up, Google recommends contacting support. The fix is particularly relevant to owners who found their older Chromecast devices disappearing from the Google Home app or becoming impossible to add after an update.
Before Google addressed the problem, some users had resorted to workarounds, including installing older versions of the Google Home app or creating a new Home to get their devices working again. Others reported that older Chromecast Audio devices were also affected.
The timing made the situation particularly confusing. Google had already updated its support information to show that most older Chromecast devices were no longer supported. This left affected users unsure whether the setup failures were simply another sign that the devices had reached the end of their lives.
For now, though, Google’s latest update suggests the setup failure was a software glitch rather than a deliberate removal of setup support. If you still have an older Chromecast or Google Home device that stopped working with the Home app, updating to the latest version 4.26 of the Google Home app is the first thing to try.
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