- Original Chromecasts have been fixed by a Google update
- Multiple users had reported their dongles had stopped working
- Gemini is appearing on 4K Chromecast with Google TV models
A couple of days ago it seemed as though it was the end of the road for the original, 1st-gen Chromecast launched in 2013: multiple users reported that their dongles had stopped working, but it seems the death of these devices has been greatly exaggerated.
As per Android Authority, Google has now acknowledged the issue with these old Chromecasts, and rolled out a fix. "The issue impacting the ability to cast some services to Chromecast devices has been resolved," says Google.
That doesn't mean these Chromecasts are suddenly being fully supported again — Google officially stopped issuing updates for the first-generation models in 2023 — but it does seem as though these devices will work for a while yet.
It's also worth bearing in mind that the streaming apps need to support the older hardware too: Peacock+ is one of the apps you won't be able to get working on a 2013 Chromecast, because it's no longer compatible.
Now with added Gemini
In more Chromecast update news, the Chromecast with Google TV has been given a significant Gemini AI overhaul, as reported by Android Headlines and others. For now, it looks as though it's just the 4K model that has the update, and not the HD version.
While Gemini has already arrived on the Google TV Streamer, it wasn't clear if the older Chromecast devices would be getting any AI upgrades: Google has stopped selling them, and it's not certain if the hardware can support Gemini.
I've now got the Gemini upgrade on my own 4K Chromecast with Google TV. There's a whole new Gemini screen to explore, which lets you create images and run voice prompts just like you can inside the Gemini apps for the web and mobile.
It makes sense for this device to get Gemini, as it essentially runs the same operating system as the Google TV Streamer. The older Chromecasts, in contrast, don't have any real on-board software of their own, and are controlled by the device doing the casting.
