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Device Utility App to Re-activate Chromecast

nickglp
Community Member

Hello,

I have factory reset an old chromecast gen 2 that I own and when i attempt to set it up using the google home app it prompts me with,

"Chromecast found. It needs to be activated before setup."

Then the next page sends me to the Help Center to download the Device Utility App to re-activate the chromecast.

The device utility app finds the chromecast but then shows up with an error message stating it cannot connect to the chromecast.

Has anyone had any success "activating" a chromecast or using the device utility app?

Screenshot_20220109-084201.png           Screenshot_20220109-084151.png

1 Recommended Answer

gpries
Community Member

I was able to figure out how to work around this garbage app:

1) Open Device Utility, and then turn wifi off as it says to

2) Let it find your device, tap on the name if you have multiple devices that need activation

3) Go back over to your phone's wifi and turn it back on (wifi is required for setup, even though they force you to turn it off. At this point in the app, we should be passed the blocking wifi check)

4) Go back to the Device Utility app and tell it to connect to the device

It should connect now and display the code on the screen.

 

Steps with screenshots

1) Let Device Utility tell you to turn off wifi

Screenshot_20220110-204041.png

2) Let it find your devices with wifi off

Screenshot_20220110-204055.png

3) It will either find 1 device, or multiple. If it finds multiple, tap on the device on the list. If it finds just one device, move on to the next step

Screenshot_20220110-194049.png or Screenshot_20220110-204107.png

4) Go into your phones settings a turn wifi back on, we've bypassed the wifi check and we need wifi to complete activation

Screenshot_20220110-204119.png

5) Go back to the Device Utility app now that wifi is re-enabled, and continue with setup. It should now actually be able to connect to your device and set it up.

Screenshot_20220110-204133.png

I must say that Google's Chromecast support was _very bad_ in my experience with them. I am a software developer and had to figure this out for myself, I can only hope that it works for others too.

View Recommended Answer in original post

202 REPLIES 202

HCM402
Community Member

I have this exact same issue, it's so annoying!!

Everything about having to use the "device utility" app is terrible..

Im considering switching all devices in my building from Chromecast to apple or Alexa because this keeps happening, and the device utility rarely works.  

 

Truly a horrible, hacky solution to a problem that shouldn't exist.  

 

Are there plans to fix the big, or is the "device utility" a permanent, embarrassing work around that rarely works?

 

What happened Goog? Your software used to be so solid..  but following the instructions in "device utility"; an app that shouldn't be necessary at all.. rarely works.  

 

And when it doesn't, that seems to be the end of the troubleshooting line.  

 

Can't use my stadia..

Can't use several speakers..  

Can't use several Chromecasts..  

WTF

 

knightkid
Community Member

Same issue here, on the Google Home Mini (1st Gen)

Lyons
Community Member

Someone Help us!

chromecastlame
Community Member

ME TOO THIS IS SO WACK

qwertydanny
Community Member

Same here!

KRP
Community Member

Same issue with brand new Chromecast Gen 3. Trying to set up using a Pixel phone

Lyons
Community Member

Same. i have a vizio tv I bought in 2017

ClassicDave
Community Member

Same issue. I'll be returning my Chromecast.

KRP
Community Member

Update: It still seems to work using iOS. I was able to set up properly using an iPad. For those of you that have an iOS device, that may be a work around for you.

elmolda
Community Member

Hey Google, we paid for these stuff!!! Solve it!

Simmmerl
Community Member

For me resetting the chromecast solved it. Hold down the reset button until the LED light stops blinking orange and turns white.

Lyons
Community Member

i tried so many things: resetting using button, reinstalling apps, restarting everything (phone, tv, wifi, chromecast, apps)... and many other things. i returned the chromecast to the store in exchange for another and also bought the google tv.

i tried the new chromecast and noticed similar issues so immediately stopped and tried the google tv -_-... the installation was seamless. it's $50

4hrs of my life + gas, the time of my S/O, and health were all wasted... i still have to return the second chromecast 😕

Godspeed —

The only way I got it to work was using my gf's iphone. Imagine buying a Google made android phone and having to use a iPhone or other android device to make the dumb chrome thing work. Google smh 

Thanks for this! I had a friend use her Samsung phone, and a Gen 2 Chromecast connected quickly. It's always been slow or impossible to connect using my Pixel 2 phone! I will next see if her Samsung can reconnect my Gen 1 Chromecast that I reset according to terrible online Google instructions, but now can't activate because there is NO such app on Google Play. I have loved the Pixel phones, but can't bring myself to upgrading when Google does NOT support compatibility across all its products. Apple clearly does a better job at this. Google development is known for abandoning products. Maybe they get bored.🤔 So much for their "Do no evil" motto.

Katgo
Community Member

A friend's old Galaxy Samsung phone set up my 2 Chromecast, Gen 1 and 2 on the first attempt and did NOT get that re-activate message. Everyone should push Google Support to replace their devices.

abensky
Community Member

It turns out ANY non-pixel device, including IOS devices, can do this seamlessly. If Google can't fix this they at least should clearly provide this guidance.

dsalzer
Community Member

I should have done a Google search on this issue before I spent several hours trying to set up Chromecast with my Pixel 6 Pro.  Google Home would find the device but deliver the message: "chromecast found it needs to be activated".  I could not activate on Google Home with iPad either.  I finally remembered I had a many years old Samsung Galaxy phone sitting in a drawer and I charged the battery, connected to wifi, opened Google Home, and the chromecast set up proceeded smoothly.  Pretty baffling that Google Chromecast & Google Home App & Google Pixel phone don't play with one another.

Moopy
Community Member

I had absolutely no problem setting up my Chromecasts using my old Pixel 2.   I had taken my Chromecast out of my house and connected it to a different 'home' in a different city/state.  Couldn't connect it back at my house.  Easiest thing to do in such a situation is to factory reset.  Have done this multiple times with no problems in the 5 years that I have owned the Pixel 2 and the Chromecast.   Never had to download the "Device Utility" app before.

But, now Google Home wants me to use the "Device Utility" (cr)app to activate my Chromecast.  I now have a Pixel 7 and the Device Utility on it refuses to connect to it after I have connected to the Chromecast WiFi SSID as directed. 

I downloaded the Google Home app on an iPhone XR and tried to add the Chromecast, but I don't think I can do it if the Chromecast is not "activated".  After I choose "Chromecast" for the "What are you setting up?" prompt, It keeps "looking for a device" and then loops back into the "What are you setting up?" dialog.  Never ending cycle even on an iPhone.  AArrghhh.... POS apps by Google.

Scmrak
Community Member

Fortunately, I had kept my old Pixel 2 instead of trading it in. After I charged it up, I was able to use it with the "device utility app" instead of the Pixel 6a that wouldn't work. You'd think that after a couple of years, someone at Alpha would have noticed the DU(mb thing) doesn't work past a certain Android build, but noooooooo...

Alan_D
Community Member

 It's not android build that is your issue.  In the last year I've activated a gen 2, a gen 1, and 2x gen 3's in android 12 and 13... 

gpries
Community Member

I was able to figure out how to work around this garbage app:

1) Open Device Utility, and then turn wifi off as it says to

2) Let it find your device, tap on the name if you have multiple devices that need activation

3) Go back over to your phone's wifi and turn it back on (wifi is required for setup, even though they force you to turn it off. At this point in the app, we should be passed the blocking wifi check)

4) Go back to the Device Utility app and tell it to connect to the device

It should connect now and display the code on the screen.

 

Steps with screenshots

1) Let Device Utility tell you to turn off wifi

Screenshot_20220110-204041.png

2) Let it find your devices with wifi off

Screenshot_20220110-204055.png

3) It will either find 1 device, or multiple. If it finds multiple, tap on the device on the list. If it finds just one device, move on to the next step

Screenshot_20220110-194049.png or Screenshot_20220110-204107.png

4) Go into your phones settings a turn wifi back on, we've bypassed the wifi check and we need wifi to complete activation

Screenshot_20220110-204119.png

5) Go back to the Device Utility app now that wifi is re-enabled, and continue with setup. It should now actually be able to connect to your device and set it up.

Screenshot_20220110-204133.png

I must say that Google's Chromecast support was _very bad_ in my experience with them. I am a software developer and had to figure this out for myself, I can only hope that it works for others too.

SamInPgh
Community Member

@gpries Thanks for taking the time to help your fellow prisoners of the Google Home infrastructure. If only Google itself would give such detailed and helpful instructions to its customers, it would be a better world. Ahhh, but I can only dream...

#PaySonos

bonsitm
Community Member

Thanks so much, this finally worked for me! 

nickglp
Community Member

Worked for my 2nd gen chromecast, thank you very much!

This "device utility" app isnt available in my region 😕 any advice?

rhen
Community Member

You can create another google account and set the region to the US. After that you can go to the Play Store with that account and download the app without issue

BoogeyRATT
Community Member

No, it's not available in the US.  Was the app so awful that they sunset it already?

Thats interesting, I dont know when I downloaded it, but I have it... 

Alan_D
Community Member

Just looked it up, I installed it on APR 15 2022.. so if it's not available.. thats a fairly recent thing.  I did need it to basically activate all 3 of my chromecasts, including the new one I got this month (a gen 3 CC)...  I dont know how google expects people to activate them if that application isn't available.

Sorry for my initially terse response, I was at my wits' end last night.

According to the Google "support" chat the issue is that I'm on a Pixel phone and there's apparently some problem with trying to get a Google product to use a Google app to connect to a Google product on a Google OS.  How goddamn ridiculous.

ericnvd
Community Member

My 2 cents:

  • Could not find "Device Utility" app in App Store (using US acct)
  • Had to Google "Device Utility" APK to install on my Pixel 6a (beware of what you download!)
  • When using "Device Utility" make sure you FORGET the current wifi network (don't just disconnect)
  • I had to have my mobile data on in order to have the app find my old Chromecast gen 2 device
  • Once connected to Chromecast I entered the wrong wifi password once and I was not able to add device to Google Home. I had to reset Chromecast device and restart from scratch
  • At the end it all worked out well.

Where did you find a safe APK? I'm in the same boat and frustrated to no end right now (on a Pixel 6 Pro)

Hellen
Community Member

Thanks for sharing!

To quote John McEnroe, you can not be serious!!!

Katgo
Community Member

There is NO such app on Google Play Store, so now what???!!?

jdjdjaydee
Community Member

You can download the app through an APK. It's a bit of a hassle, but I got my Nest Audio working after doing it that way, and then just deleted the APK from the phone afterwards.