Trying to authenticate chromecast audio

[charleskgrigsby]

I'm trying to reset my old chromecast audio so I can set it up at my new house.  I reset the device to set it up.  The Google Home app told me that I needed to authenticate the device.  So I downloaded the Device Utility app, deleted my home wifi and found the chromecast audio.  But I keep getting the error message that says:

"We coundn't authenticate your Chromecast Audio.  Please visit support.google.com/chromecast for help troubleshooting this issue.  Ok"

I found one article, but there was a workaround for wifi that doesn't seem to work anymore.  

Any ideas?

[Derickf]

Hi @charleskgrigsby,

Thank you for posting in the community. I understand you're having trouble setting up your Chromecast Audio with the Google Home app. I appreciated you letting me know that you have tried resetting the device and using the Google Home app and Device Utility app, but you're still getting the "We couldn't authenticate your Chromecast Audio" error. I'm happy to assist.

To gather the necessary information, please answer the following questions:

• Which color is the LED of your Chromecast Audio?
• Have you tried using a different phone or tablet to pair your Chromecast Audio?

I hope this information helps.

Best regards,

Derick.

[charleskgrigsby]

* The device has a blinking white light. 

* I have tried using other Android devices, but all the other phones say the Device Utility app was made for a different version of Android.  Mine is also 16, but I think I had it from before on the device when I set up the audio before.  But my phone is the only phone that I can get the Device Utility app on.  

[Derickf]

Hi there!

Thanks for your reply and confirming you've already tried pairing your Chromecast Audio with other phones or tablets. I understand your device has a blinking white light, and you're encountering issues with the Device Utility app.

Please attempt the following steps:

1. Get the Device Utility App: Download or update the Device Utility app on your mobile device.
2. Launch the App: Open the Device Utility app.
3. Grant Location Access: When prompted, allow the app to access your device's location.
4. Enable Bluetooth: Turn on Bluetooth in your device settings.
5. Disable Wi-Fi (Temporarily): Turn off Wi-Fi in your device settings.
6. Device Discovery: The app will automatically begin searching for nearby devices.
7. Enable Wi-Fi (Re-enable): Turn Wi-Fi back on in your device settings.
8. Activate Your Device: Follow the on-screen prompts within the app to activate your device.
9. Complete Setup: Finish the remaining steps to complete the activation process.

Let me know how it goes.

Best regards,

Derick.

[charleskgrigsby]

I have been trying this.  When I try to turn off Wi-Fi the app asks me to turn it back on.  I have you either disconnect or forget the network I am connected to.  I'm either case, I try connecting and activating and I get the error above.  

[Derickf]

Hi there!

Thanks for your reply. I understand you're experiencing a persistent Wi-Fi re-enable prompt and an activation error with your Chromecast Audio, even after trying to disconnect or forget your network.

The team would like to learn more about this situation. When you get a chance, please fill out this form and let us know when you’re finished. We’ll have someone reach out to you via email from there.

Best regards,

Derick.

[charleskgrigsby]

Ok.  Done.  

[kristianwc]

After a lot of frustration and searching, I came across two things to fix mine.  I found this https://www.reddit.com/r/Chromecast/comments/1j7lhrs/the_chromecast_2s_device_authentication/ and followed the "Best" answer that's highlighted in yellow.  Here's the bit that might have helped mine:

Fix casting from Android (GUI method)

1. Download and install this Activity Manager app. I am not affiliated with it, but it's open source and seems to work as advertised. Note that you can download an APK directly from that page—you don't need to install F-Droid if you don't want to.

2. Launch the app and select "Intent launcher" from the dropdown in the upper right.

3. Tap the edit icon next to "Action" and paste in com.google.android.gms.cast.settings.CastSettingsCollapsingDebugAction. Leave all other fields blank. On Android 11 and below, use CastSettingsDebugAction instead of CastSettingsCollapsingDebugAction.

4. Tap the checkmark in the lower right.

5. In the settings panel that pops up, scroll down to "Connection" and enable "Bypass device auth".

I also found someone suggesting to change the phone's date, which appeared to have some success.  So, I tried setting the date on my phone back some time in March (7th I think).  Pretty sure this is actually the fix that allowed me to authenticate successfully. You'll need to restart your phone after changing the date to March, do your Chromecast Audio reset/auth and then change the date back (restart again just to make sure it's all OK.  You'll get a couple of app like WhatsApp complain that the date is incorrect - ignore them, they'll be OK when you switch back to automatic date.

You might find that the date change works on it's own, but the steps I took were the Activity Manager app, which didn't work on it's own, so then I did the date change.  I can't say for sure the date/time will work, so just sharing what I did.

Hopefully that will sort it for you!

Good luck

Kristian

[flybob]

This doesn't work. It gives a fatal error with no help or direction.

[kristianwc]

Hey, I got the same issue!  Got my old chromecast audio and trying to attach it to a new Google home.  Resetting the chromecast via the devices button, Device Utility finds the Chromecast Audio, but fails on the Connecting to Chromecast Audio screen with the message "We couldn't authenticate your Chromecast Audio".  Frustrating. 😕