Chromecast keeps disconnecting on YouTube app (again!)

[rafaeln]

When casting videos from the YouTube app on Chromecast, videos will simply stop playing after a few (random number of) minutes and go back to the Chromecast background screen. This started happening on Thursday, October 28th, 2021.

When the issue started I was running the then-latest version of Android 11; now I am on Android 12 (but note the issue started before I upgraded the phone's OS).  The firmware version of my Chromecast is 1.49.250946 and the YouTube app version is the latest.

I opened a similar thread a few weeks ago, and at the time it seemed that uninstalling and reinstalling the Home app fixed the issue, but two days ago it started happening again in full force (i.e. it disconnected like 4 or 5 times when casting a 8-9 minute video). I uninstalled and reinstalled the Home app and that did NOT fix the issue this time.

What else can I try? What can be causing this? These frequent interruptions makes playback of YouTube videos on Chromecast almost impossible.

[petersonsilva]

This also affects me!! Really annoying. Started happening to me a couple of days ago. It might have to do with the new Youtube-Chromecast interface, or with the fact that I subscribed to Premium, but it's less likely as it does not seem to be a pattern with this older problem also affecting non-Premium users. 

[rafaeln]

I do wonder if it's due to the Premium—I wonder if the disconnection happens at times when the "normal" app would have checked for / shown an ad. For some videos it happens, almost like clockwork, every 3-4 minutes. For some videos it happens less often or not at all.

What's weird is sometimes I can re-watch the same video that was problematic in the morning, and in the evening it plays straight through.

Do you notice it happening more at a particular time of day, with particular content...?

[petersonsilva]

Now that's something I hadn't considered. I watch videos throughout the day but I only ever chromecast them at around noon / early afternoon.

And yes, I have had this problem with videos that I know usually display ads. I might try to cast something I know for sure won't have ads to check it out.

[petersonsilva]

So just to give some feedback, videos without ads also suffer from this. And it doesn't appear to be dependent on time of day either.

[quetzalfir]

I have premium account and it happen the same issue to me 😕

[Chris83]

I dont have premium and it happens with me all the time it **bleep**ing erks me to no end

[RootKing]

Same issue for me.

Started happening 2-3 weeks ago, a day or two before YouTube updated their app to include a remote option via your phone.

I've been searching through different forums that mention 'battery optimisation' but that's not doing it for me.

All other casting apps are unaffected for me.

@Support  - any comments for troubleshooting?

[Jeran]

Hey there,

I'm real sorry about the late response on this, thank you for your patience! Just to double-check, is this disconnection issue happening with just the YouTube app, or is it with other apps as well? Also, what is the firmware version of your Chromecast device? Now, if the problem is isolated with YouTube, then go ahead and clear cache and app data on the YouTube app. If the issue persists, go ahead and uninstall and reinstall the app. 

Let me know the results, I look forward to your response!

Best regards,

Jeran

[petersonsilva]

Hi Jeran,

I don't Chromecast a million other things but at the very least Netflix and screencasting itself are not affected. And most importantly, web youtube casts just fine.

I have already cleared cache and app data on the youtube and the home apps twice and it hasn't worked. I'll try doing as you suggested and I'll post results back as soon as possible.

[rafaeln]

I too have tried clearing cache and app data, as well as uninstalling and reinstalling the Home app (the YouTube app cannot be uninstalled), to no avail. I can cast to all other apps from the phone just fine (Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Music, Disney+), and from my iPad I can cast using the YouTube app without any interruptions (in fact, it's what I have been forced to use, since the interruptions while casting from the YouTube Android app were so common and infuriating that I just can't use it anymore).

The firmware version of my Chromecast is now 1.56.275994

[petersonsilva]

As I just wrote in my response, there was an update to the Youtube app tonight. You might want to try it if you haven't updated already!

[rafaeln]

Thanks for the tip! I did make sure I was up-to-date this morning, so that update must have gotten installed already. I tried casting from my phone and it took 2 minutes 39 seconds for the Chromecast to disconnect from the YouTube app. So, whatever that update had, it did not fix the issue for me. 😞

[petersonsilva]

Ahh, what a shame. It's also a sad prospect for me, I don't how I got to cast fine yesterday but I'm not hopeful for the future haha

[rafaeln]

Ha ha, for me it's been like Lucy and the football: I try something (e.g. reinstalling the "Home" app, or clearing the YouTube app cache) and it SEEMS like the problem went away—but inevitably it comes back.

I think it's just a bug in the Android YouTube app that will never get fixed because the YouTube app support team will blame it on Chromecast, and the Chromecast support team will blame it on the YouTube app, and us users are just stuck in the middle. 😞

[petersonsilva]

So, ok, here's what happened.

I casted from the Youtube app to my Chromecast (firmware version 1.56.275994) and... It worked. For two videos at least. When the third came on, the issue happened again (Chromecast disconnected).

I can link these videos if that's at all relevant.

I sighed and tried to do what you asked me to, but here's the thing: there is no way to uninstall Youtube from my cell phone (Samsung Galaxy M62). So I cleared the cache and the app data, deactivated it and activated it again (though this doesn't do much, I assume), and checked Play Store for updates - and the Youtube app in fact had an update waiting, so I updated it.

And then I started casting again. And the glitch didn't happen anymore, for several videos. I went away, then came back, casted 4 or 5 videos, and it was all right.

Also also, when I started casting again after all those "procedures", it asked me if I wanted to "log in to the TV" - the recent feature from Youtube that makes zero sense on a Chromecast, but whatever - I logged in.

I'll probably cast again tomorrow and I'm sure I'll be unlucky to experience the problem once more but for the moment I'm cautiously optimistic. As it also affects other users in this forum and nothing seems to have been done explicitly tackling the issue, I bet it's going to return... But, you know, there was an update to the app, so it may have fixed things accidentally.

[mamorubox]

Hello!
I'm having this issue too, only with youtube app on android, to Chromecast 1st gen and 2nd gen. Netflix works fine, Amazon video also works fine.

My phone is a Galaxy S10+ Android 11. 

If I keep the phone screen on, the youtube app keeps connected. If the phone screen goes off, after some random time, the chromecast disconects from youtube app.

If I use the remote control function to search and play videos, the stream is not disconnected.

So I think something related to the youtube app in the phone when the screen goes off.

[petersonsilva]

I think you cracked it!! I noticed this yesterday when again some videos worked and others didn't. They worked while I was doing stuff on the phone with youtube videos on the background - the problem came back when I wanted to actually look at the screen.

I thought about experimenting with it more before I concluded this was relevant but had no time. You posting this gives me more confidence that it is related to the screen going off.

[mamorubox]

I just made another test this week: wayching music videos in YouTube music app streaming in my Chromecast.

No issues at all. It works fine!

But when watching the same music video on YouTube app, disconnections happens when the cellphone screen goes off.

So, definitely, YouTube app problem.

Regards,

[GonzaloMiralles]

Same problem here.

Chromecast disconnects after turning the phone screen off.

This does not happen with any other service (Prime, Disney, Netflix, NBA) only with my Youtube Premium.

Already tried clearing cache for Youtube and Home apps

Any help would be appreciatted.

[Alank]

No it's all apps on my android phone when I cast it's very slow,skips I guess just started about a week or so,have connection on two tv

[seanmcmoran]

YouTube and YouTube TV for me

[petersonsilva]

..... Aaaand it happened again.

The video that didn't work today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOG3X1jAxfo

The videos that worked yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_0myRb2W9k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFMLMQaUrRw

Until it didn't with this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWP41MXLMGY

And then it went to work for 8 other videos after the procedures / updating the app.

[rafaeln]

I tried the YouTube app on Android and the problem still persists: within 4-5 minutes the phone disconnected from Chromecast.

What is being done to fix this? I pay for YouTube Premium because YouTube is one of my main sources of entertainment, and I watch all videos on my TV via Chromecast. I need this feature to work, otherwise what's the point of paying for YouTube?

[petersonsilva]

It's been weeks. This amazes me: are we a very slim minority of people affected by this? So that they seem unfazed?

[rafaeln]

I guess we ARE a minority, because if all YouTube users had the same issue we do playing their videos, YouTube would lose all their users.

And for me it's been months: this started happening for me in October of last year. 😞

[mamorubox]

Ok. I did a new test here.

I have a second google account for backup purposes. This backup account doesn't have YT Premium enabled. 

In YouTube app, I switched from mais main account to my backup account, and watching a 40 minutes video without get disconnected.

My guess now is the issue is also related with my main google account.

[petersonsilva]

So it has to do with YouTube premium, cause I didn't suffer any of this before getting premium

[mamorubox]

Oh, forget it.

It started to disconnect from my backup Google account too, after watching abou 60 minutes of video.

Now disconnects as fast as my main account... **bleep**.

No idea what is happening.

[petersonsilva]

Did you keep the screen off the entire time? Cause we concluded it had something to do with that

I've made a tasker profile to keep the screen up for 30 minutes on the YouTube app and I never had a problem again *unless* I manually turn off the screen. Of course the problem is now watching videos on the TV is a drain on the phone's battery but at least it works

[mamorubox]

Yes, my first test with backup account was immediately turn off the screen. I also turn off cellphone wifi too to try a reconnection after 35 minutes of playing, and it worked, resync without restarting the video from beginning.

But after about 1 hour of playing, it started to disconnect as the screen goes off, exactly as my main account.

[petersonsilva]

So weird.

I think we have enough information to report bugs and leave negative reviews on Youtube's google play app. I mean, if this website isn't calling devs' attention, something like that should.

[Jog]

No , not only on premium.

[mamorubox]

Next tests I´m planning to do:

- Try in an smart tv with built in YouTube app (no chromecast);

- Try my son´s cellphone as he is my family member on Premium service.

I´ll let you know.

[petersonsilva]

Curious about the TV with built in Youtube app; not holding my breath for your son's phone - I myself am not the main account for the Premium service and I'm affected, so...

[mamorubox]

I make de tests yesterday.

1) My son's TV is a Sony KDL-32W655D smart tv and I streamed about 3 or 4 youtube videos without being disconnected with screen off. I was not able to watch more than 25 minutes to this test because my son uses this TV to play PS4.

2) Using my son's cellphone logged at his own YT account, I streamed acouple of videos in my main chromecast g2 without being disconnected. I share my YT premium feature with him. 

So, looks like the issue is more complex and speciic to my account with chromecast.

[petersonsilva]

Huh. Interesting. I will try to use my spouse's phone then (the main Premium account) to see if it happens with hers.

[petersonsilva]

Today I went into the Youtube app, clicked on my avatar on the top right corner and went into the "feedback" section. I wrote about the situation. I feel like this is supposed to be Youtube's bug report system, so... I encourage everyone affected to do the same.

[mamorubox]

I will do the same.

Tks.

[udoy]

We have the same problem. I fixed it temporarily only. I created a new google account and click on my avatar in youtube and switched to my new created google account.

Works like a charm. It did not disconnect anymore.

So it is in our google account that is causing the problem.

I hope google team fix this asap.