Chromecast not recognised by home app

[dpd]

Second fail today - well done google. Following the inability of google assistant to play a film from Disney on a hub max, I thought I'd watch on TV via chromecast instead. The last time I tried the command 'play Star Wars Episode Four on Bedroom TV', it worked without any issues. Today the assistant responded 'I also need to know which device to use'. The chromecast screen was on the TV at the time but the device showed as offline in google home despite being connected to the network and available to cast from a phone without any issues. I tried rebooting the chromecast and everything connected as before except linking the chromecast to my google account, which generated the message 'error when linking device'. It was possible to bypass this stage by selecting 'not now' but that leaves the chromecast again connected to the network and available to cast but listed as a local device and still not recognised by the google home app as connected to the network. WHY?

To make things even worse, I can't delete the chromecast from google home because the app 'Can't see Bedroom TV on this Wi-Fi network. Check that it's online and that your phone or tablet is connected to the same Wi-Fi network'. Because the app can't see the chromecast, I can't access settings to delete it.

Why does the google home app fail to recognise the chromecast when it's clearly connected to the network?

[David_K · Accepted solution]

If it's listed as a local device that means it is connected to the same Wifi network as your phone but not setup by the account you're logged into the app with. I'd recommend resetting using the physical button on the device and complete setup fully linking it to your account.

How to factory reset your Chromecast or Google TV Streamer - Streaming Help

Need help with setup? Troubleshoot common Chromeca… - Google Nest Community

[dpd]

Hello. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I reset and relinked the chromecast before posting but it had no effect. I also said in the original post that it is clear the chromecast is connected to the network (before and after relinking) because it is possible to cast from a phone. Your previous advice aside, do you know why the device is not recognized by the app even though it's connected to the network? Thanks.

[David_K]

Does it still show as a "local device" in the Google Home app? Even after you reset it and set it up again?

[dpd]

Thank you for the reply. It remained as a 'local device' for the first several attempts but eventually it connected properly. However, it still wasn't recognized by google assistant and continued to generate the response: 'I also need to know which device to use. Try saying it again and using the device's name'. This was despite the chromecast showing in the home app and being visible on the tv screen and me using the correct device name. Since then, the chromecast status in the home app has reverted to 'Offline'. Just to repeat, this chromecast worked perfectly well until this fault occurred and nothing has changed: same tv, same chromecast, same router, same home.

[dpd]

Without suggesting the usual ‘switch it off and back on again’ advice, does anyone know why the google home app doesn't recognize a chromecast that is connected to the same network?

Does anyone have a solution that works?

[aperezdeleon]

Hi dpd,

Thanks for reaching out to our community. 

If you try to cast to your Chromecast and it suddenly goes offline, it can cause confusion. Let’s see what could be causing this behavior and get your Chromecast back on track.

Which specific Chromecast model are you using? Is it a Chromecast with Google TV? Does your TV display the set-me-up screen once the Chromecast goes offline in the app? Please let me know the color of the status light as well.

One of the reasons this might be happening could be that your Chromecast is trying to connect to two internet bands at the same time (2.4GHz and 5GHz), so if you have a dual-band router, I suggest you make sure your main internet network is not using the same name and password on both bands. With that in mind, please connect it to the 5GHz band of your network.

Are you using an Android or iOS device to set up your Chromecast? In the meantime, ensure your Chromecast is within 15 to 20 feet of the router, as close proximity will allow for the best Wi-Fi connection possible and help us rule out interference.

Let me know what you find out.

Regards,

Angel. 

[dpd]

Hello. Thank you for the response. The fault is not with the chromecast, network connection or interference. I can connect the chromecast to the network and cast content from my phone. The chromecast still works, just not with the app and google assistant.

• Which specific Chromecast model are you using? Is it a Chromecast with Google TV? Does your TV display the set-me-up screen once the Chromecast goes offline in the app? Please let me know the color of the status light as well.

first generation
tv display displays chromecast home screen (not set-me-up screen) when offline in app
solid white status light

• One of the reasons this might be happening could be that your Chromecast is trying to connect to two internet bands at the same time (2.4GHz and 5GHz), so if you have a dual-band router, I suggest you make sure your main internet network is not using the same name and password on both bands. With that in mind, please connect it to the 5GHz band of your network.

chromecast is connected to the network

• Are you using an Android or iOS device to set up your Chromecast? In the meantime, ensure your Chromecast is within 15 to 20 feet of the router, as close proximity will allow for the best Wi-Fi connection possible and help us rule out interference.

android
within 15 feet of router

The chromecast is currently streaming content from Netflix cast from my phone. It works perfectly well but in the ‘Devices’ area of the app the chromecast tile is greyed out and shows as offline. Despite showing as offline, if I tap on the tile to open the device, it shows as casting and allows me to change the volume on the tv or to stop casting from netflix. If I stop casting from the phone and ask google assistant on an adjacent speaker to play the same content on the same device, google assistant responds ‘I also need to know which device to use’.

It is fairly obvious that the fault is not with the chromecast or network connection but with the link between the chromecast and the app and google assistant.