Chromcast Shutting Off While Inactive

[MintChoco484]

I leave my TV on so my dog has background noise when I leave the house. Recently when I come home, the TV is off and I suspect it's because the Chromcast has been "inactive" for 2-3+ hours. My settings haven't changed and it's still set to be on for at least 8 hours before shutting off. So far each time it's been while playing YouTube TV, so I'm not sure if it would happen on Spotify, YouTube. I've done a restart as well and it still happens.

[kelanfromgoogle · Accepted solution]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your patience. Our team is aware of this issue and is actively investigating to find a fix. In the meantime, if you wish to prevent your Chromecast from powering off due to inactivity you can navigate to Settings > Developer options > Stay awake and toggle that option.

To enable developer options on your Chromecast with Google TV navigate to your device settings > System >  About > Android TV OS build, and then press the Select button on the remote about 7 times. This process will enable the developer options on your device.

Please stay tuned to the community forum, we will communicate as soon as a fix is identified and on the way.

Thank you,
Kelan

[printmaster5000]

How did it go, Natalie?

[NatalieJ]

Well, that theory was a bust. I tried every option below 4 hours and they all work just fine.

[Scottyad]

So Never doesn't work, and eveything before 4 hours works but nothing past 8 hours works? I was going to try setting it to 24 hours.

[NatalieJ]

I haven't tested any of the options above 4 hours, but the assumption is that nothing over 4 will work, yeah.

[derekcan]

No fix after nearly two months, going to do the developer mode work around since the device I have does not work as intended and the developer mode work around will allow me to use the device as I intend it to.

[Chook71]

So after being repeatedly told by @Kimy "That a case has been logged and the developers are looking at it" after posting a negative comment on twitter to @madebygoogle they contacted me via DM and originally stated "there's no confirmed bug about this, we're yet to confirm if other similar reports are hardware or software-related" which as far as I'm concerned means there has been no case submitted by @Kimy and the developers have not been looking at it. 

They were able to get the support team to reply to my original support case where they wanted me to use two mobile phones to connect the device to a mobile hotspot and monitor it for 4 - 5 hours. What a joke.  

I told them I could not do this as I actually work for a living and can't be without access to my phone for 4 - 5 hour but I did set up a separate wifi network and connected to that. 

Google support said they wanted to confirm it wasn't my network that was causing the issue which as far as I'm concerned I have now done. 

Setup a new wifi network (using a Google Nest Wifi device) 

Factory reset Chromecast device.

Connect Chromecast device to new network 

4 hours later the device turns off as previously documented. 

On Sunday I provided the Google support team a very long a detailed outline of the testing I have completed which included pretty much everything that has been mentioned here. 

Lets see if they actually fix it now. 

[Ptrik]

"Standby

The Android TV device will soon turn off; press a button to keep it on." 

I have 8 TVs that display to the public all day long. Now they keep shutting off after 4 hours. 

[Chook71]

This is a known issue see the below. 

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Chromecast/Chromcast-Shutting-Off-While-Inactive/m-p/419552

[Alex_S]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the heads up, @Chook71.
 

@Ptrik, I'll merge this thread with the main post, where all the updates will be posted, so we can communicate effectively. You can follow the main thread for any news. Please note that once merged, this original thread will be locked.

Regards,
Alex

[Chook71]

I’d say you need to find another product as this has been a known issue for months now. All we get out of Google is “we’re looking at it” which at this point no one actually believes anymore. 

Incredibly disappointing how Google are treating their customers 

[NickH1]

Hi @Kimy 

Same issue here, any update. 

cheers,

Nick

[Idiotstumped]

Wish I had seen this before purchasing two new Google tv devices that also shut off after 4 hours. Can it really take developers this long too fix? If so the solution is obvious. Roku Apple anything not running Google software.

[Chrispy2u]

I also have this problem...am waiting for Google to fix the software...waiting...waiting...

[Scottyad]

It would seem based on evidence from members here and the community as a whole that this issue is simply not being addressed. It also would seem @Kimy  is likely not a real person, possibly an automated bot of some kind due to the copy/paste style responses we've experienced.

I switched the "Stay Awake - screen will never sleep while charging" option on via the Development options on all 6 of  my Chromecast devices. There has been no issues at all other than it doesn't display the screensaver slideshow.
My TV's all now run 24/7 as needed. 

Yes its a bug and it sucks, yes Google are slack, but there is a workaround until Google fix the issue somehow, sometime:

Step 1: Enable Developer Options: https://allaboutchromecast.com/enable-developer-options-in-chromecast-with-google-tv/
Step 2: Select "Stay Awake - screen will never sleep while charging"

[Watcher]

Thanks so much for this tip. I followed the instructions in the link you posted and Voila!!! Problem solved

[FreeBirdie]

I came into this convo late and missed the part where we were encouraged to not go into developer mode. When I saw the activate developer mode work-around I immediately implemented it. My tv hasn't turned off since. It'll stay on 24/7 if I choose and I never get the dreaded black screen of nothingness. I haven't noticed any adverse issues from switching to developer mode so this has been a good solution for me. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[kelanfromgoogle · Accepted solution]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your patience. Our team is aware of this issue and is actively investigating to find a fix. In the meantime, if you wish to prevent your Chromecast from powering off due to inactivity you can navigate to Settings > Developer options > Stay awake and toggle that option.

To enable developer options on your Chromecast with Google TV navigate to your device settings > System >  About > Android TV OS build, and then press the Select button on the remote about 7 times. This process will enable the developer options on your device.

Please stay tuned to the community forum, we will communicate as soon as a fix is identified and on the way.

Thank you,
Kelan

[Chook71]

Hang on. So you are saying that the only option here at present is to do the thing that we have been repeatedly told not to do. Switch to Developer mode? 

This is NOT a solution so this thread should NOT be closed. 

This really isn't good enough

[kelanfromgoogle]

I understand the frustration, I want to clarify that this thread is not closed. While enabling developer options is not an easy solution for everyone, for folks who who need to keep their Chromecast with Google TV active at all times - this is a current workaround. Unfortunately I do not have any additional info at this time, but the team is aware and investigating.

[jatphd]

have you been following this thread?  so, what is the plan to fix this problem?  Been three months now!

[Jeasrobs]

This just happened to me for the first time last night. thought it was strange that my TV was off when I woke up, as I was playing something that shouldn't have turned off, and then I just saw the android msg others mentioned just now.  It's been months, with no solution? Wtf

[Wrybread]

It's been 4 months. Any update on this bug?

[NickH1]

Absolutely agree with Chook71, this doesn't fix the issue as Ambient mode still turns off after 4hrs. Do we have a time frame for when this "Fix" will happen. Even an approx time so the community knows that we are not forgotten

[printmaster5000]

Thank you!

[jatphd]

wait, will this temporary "fix" enable a slideshow in ambient mode/screensaver to stay on beyond 4 hours? or, per Chook71 will it not?

[Spectre84]

Except that it kicks itself out of screensaver mode. I even triggered it and came back the next morning to see it just sitting at the main screen. In some cases worse then the screen being turned off. Given you've had two months to go back and look at your patch changes to undo what was broken, pretty piss poor solution

[jatphd]

Spectre84, thanks for that update; I will save myself the time. 
This truly is ridiculous and unacceptable.  Sadly, Google is clearly not interested in supporting its product or customers.  Going back to my previous comment: screams class action lawsuit. 

[jatphd]

So, I finally gave in and followed the recommended (developer) "fix" in hopes of obtaining a different result from Spectre84.  Yes, I must be insane.  No, the "fix" does not fix the problem!  Ambient mode turns slideshow off after 4 hours!   After one quarter (3 months), Google, you still suck!

[010010100110000]

Enabling developer options etc has fixed my issue. I use it for white noise when sleeping and it was still playing this morning.

[Chrispy2u]

Hi all,

I followed the steps and went into Developer Mode and changed to 'stay awake', left the device playing a 10 hour youtube ambience stream overnight. In the morning it was still going. So for me the interim method/fix was a success.

Thank you Google Team.

[Wrybread]

The fix doesn't work if you want to use the screensaver aka Ambient Mode.

[Dave2094]

What's taking so long? This has been going on for months.  Hard to understand why it's taking so long for a fix when Google broke it.  Unless this is on purpose to control energy consumption which is a bogus excuse.  I'll be switching to a different brand of steamer if this doesn't get fixed soon. 

[Chook71]

Let's be honest, Google spent over a month denying there was an issue, then another month getting us to prove there was an issue and tell us under no circumstances should we ever put these devices in developer mode to now tell us they are "looking at it" and the only workaround is to do exactly what they told everyone not to do. 

The support case I have logged with them has not been updated in over 3 weeks and their support team refuses to respond to any requests for updates. 

It's all a bit of a joke but is pretty consistent with the support they offer on all their products these days. Deny there is a problem until there is overwhelming evidence there is, then simply ignore your customers. 

[FreeBirdie]

🤯

Had no issue finding this and enabling "stay awake." Hoping this fixes it coz it's Shark Week and that needs to be on 24/7 ijs.

[christophermcg]

This is extremely annoying and embarassing for Google. We'll be waiting until christmas for an update to fix this problem

[smity911]

Christmas seems too soon of this rate.

[Chook71]

Which Christmas?? 2055 as this rate 😡

[dypdyp]

Possibly related but ambient mode now stopped working.  We used to have it set to rotate phots from Google Photos.  Even when I manually start ambient mode, eventually the display just goes back to displaying the the default Home Screen and will not stay on ambient mode.

[010010100110000]

Thank you so much.

[Chook71]

@kelanfromgoogle Remove the flag from this thread that says this has been answered as the is simply NOT true. 

All you have done is told users to put the device into developer mode. Something that for MONTHS Google advised users NOT to do. It also does NOT resolve the issue for a lot of users including myself. 

This will be ANSWERED once Google can actually be bothers looking at the problem that THEY caused by forcing a bad software update on users almost 6 months ago. 

Once Google has FIXED the issue then this can be considered ANSWERED. NOT before.