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

[Kimy]

Hi everyone,

Our team is already aware of this and is currently investigating this issue. Since this is the same discussion, we'll move this conversation to the main thread, and we'll continue to update it as soon as we have some news to share.

Please note that once done, this thread will be locked.

Thanks,

Kimy

[SG360Safety]

Hello Kimy and thank you for your updates.

I could not find any other update from you after the 5/24/23.

Could you update us on this please? Is there a manual solution that all users can implement or do we have to wait for an update that will include the solution to this 4hr shut down issue?

[jatphd]

Hi Kimy.  Please update on the status of Nest/Google finally resolving this issue.  This is not rocket science and we are approaching 2 months since the software update ruining the and Nest/Google software and the value of the Chromecast product. 

Is it time to abandon Chromecast and move to a competitor's device?  Thanks.

[Lightningd]

Kimy, 

IT IS NOW JULY 13TH, 2023, and this still has not been fixed!!! No updates.   This is getting old.  As much as I like the service this 4hr time out stuff has gotten old.  Please elevate this to get it fixed asap.  We have all been EXTREMELY patient and waiting on at least AN ANSWER as to why this is happening and a solution.

Obviously this is widedpread. Not many know how to look for how to report this isdue so I am certain there are thousands, if not millions of users who are getting frustrated by this inconvenience.   I for one detest being in the middle of a program only to have to have the service shut down for "inactivity"...guess what....it's not inactivity some people just prefer to stay on a channel for extended periods of time.  We do not need google monitoring our "energy consumption" unless google plans to start paying our utility bills.

Update PLEASE with a SOLUTION DATE!!

[Wolf359]

I just installed Chromecast with TV.. I would like for it to stay permanently on. I check my TV setting and they are set to stay on all the time.. I checked Chromecast TV settings  and have it set to "Never" for  POWER ENERGY when inactive.

My TV doesn't shut down rather the screen goes black..

Chromecast is plug in outlet not using a TV USB to power.

Any ideas?

Thank you in advance

[Kimy]

Hi Wolf359,

Thanks for posting here in the Google Nest Community. What is the status of the LED on your Chromecast device when the screen goes black? If it’s off, then it could be power related. Also, what steps have you taken?

Give the steps below a try, especially if the LED is good, and let me know how it goes:

• Plug your Chromecast into a different HDMI port on your TV.
• Reboot your TV and Chromecast device.
• You can also try a factory reset, then re-setup.

Thanks,

Kimy

[Kimy]

Hi there,

I'm just checking in to make sure that you saw my response. Please let us know if you still need our help, as we would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Regards,

Kimy

[Wolf359]

Thank you for the follow-up. I will try and let you know

[LovelyM]

Hello Wolf359, 

Sounds like a plan! We'll be waiting for your update here.

Cheers, 
Lovely

[Kimy]

Hello Wolf359,

I just wanted to follow up to see if you still need our help. Please let us know as we would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Best,

Kimy

[Kimy]

Hi there,

We haven’t heard back from you, so I'll be locking this thread in 24 hours. Feel free to create a new one if you have other concerns in the future.

Thanks,

Kimy

[anthonyct]

It would be neat if you guys fixed the issue before you lock the thread please.  I can pull some logs for you if your engineers aren't capable enough to do so.

[Wolf359]

Thanks for the follow up.. so i reset chromecast TV and I changed HDMI port..Chromecast still turn off or goes to sleep. again I set Power and Energy to NEVER = Automatically turn off TV when inactive. Still no resolution

[Kimy]

Hi Wolf359,

Thanks for taking the steps. Did you have a chance to check the LED when the TV screen turned black? And when you reset, is it a reboot or a factory reset? You might as well try it on another TV to isolate it. Let me know how it goes.

Regards,

Kimy

[Wolf359]

Thank you again for follow up.. sorry I didn't specify..I did a factory reset.  It seems now to stay on but only a few hours.. letting it run and will let you know results tomorrow...thank you

[Kimy]

Hi there,

Thanks for clarifying. Since you will be observing this, if it persists, kindly check the LED of the Chromecast device. I look forward to your response.

Best,

Kimy

[r3dDaWn]

Chromcast Shutting Off While Inactive : Chromecast (reddit.com)

Same issue, this has nothing to do with anything but the last update Google sent out, since then as per other posts, even when set to NEVER the system pops up the message to click a button or something to remain active, gives you a few seconds if not quick enough, turns the system off. Never had this issue UNTIL the last update Google sent out. 

[Kimy]

Hi r3dDaWn,

Thanks for posting here in the Google Nest Community. Right now, we’re still gathering details. A report has been submitted. We’ll give you an update.

Thanks,

Kimy

[Chook71]

@Kimy Is there any update on this after a month? It is still happening to everyone; it is still frustrating everyone and there doesn't appear to be any response from Google as to what is happening. 

[r3dDaWn]

So I think I found a possible temp fix. If you enable Developer Options and then enable "keep screen alive while charging", my issue has gone away, no more "inactive popup", and no shutdowns. Since enabling this option, my issue went away, which before would happen every other hour or so as per my posts. Hopefully, this helps others till a fix is made. I'll update if this issue returns for me as well...

[Wolf359]

Thank you for sharing. I'm still encountering the same process. I will try what you mentioned above and hopefully it works. Keep us posted on your end. Thank you once again

[Kimy]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the info, @r3dDaWn. We don’t recommend enabling Developer Options, as it may alter the device’s normal functions.

The team is still investigating this, and we will give you an update.

Regards,

Kimy

[Wolf359]

Hi.. so good news is that developer mode does keep my TV on.. That bad news is that my screen saver does not initiate..The idea was for Chromecast TV to stay on and have screen saver running... in developer more it does not 😞

[Kimy]

Hi everyone,

Our team is already aware of this and is currently investigating this issue. Since this is the same discussion, we'll move this conversation to the main thread, and we'll continue to update it as soon as we have some news to share.

Please note that once done, this thread will be locked.

Thanks,

Kimy

[Chook71]

Hi @Kimy We are all still waiting for an update on this but we don't seem to be getting anything other than the standard reply of "we're looking into it" 

We are all very skeptical of this replay as we have all heard it before. I for one have had other issues with other Google products for going on 18 months and there has been no fix and no reply and no follow-up from Google. Very disappointing. 

[Chook71]

Hi @Kimy So I'll ask again. Is there an update to this issue? 

You were happy to reply quickly saying either "we are looking into it" or "we'll move this conversation to the main thread, and we'll continue to update" but when we ask you for an update we get nothing. 

This is the reason we don't believe this issue is actually be looked at. 

Please provide an update ASAP

[Deedz]

Hey Kimmy. Do you have an update for us about this problem? It's been 2 months of you promising us an update and yet, you've said absolutely nothing in regards to an actual update. If you could please respond to this giant community of people experiencing a problem and actually do your job, that would be great. Thanks hun. 

[Potzki]

Hello,

I have a chromecast with google TV. I am tying to use the My Tuner app to listen to radio. Whenever I have the app running, the chromecast will go into abient mode after 10mins then turn off completely after 11mins. I have tried the following.

* Turning off ambient mode - while using the app the chromecast doesn't go into ambient mode, but still turns off after 10mins instead of 11mins

* Changing power settings to never turn off if idle - the chromecast still turned off at 10mins 

* I turned ambient made back on and left the chromecast running at idle without any apps running - the chromecast went into ambient mode at 10mins, and did not turn off for over 30mins while I was testing it. I put the My Tuner app back on and the chromecast went into ambient mode after 10mins, and turned off after 11mins again

* I tried installing the TuneIn Radio app and it while running the app the chromecast did not turn off after testing for 30 mins

Can someone please help me fix this. I would like to use the My Tuner app because it is the only app  that has all the radio stations I want in one place.

Thanks,Hello,

I have a chromecast with google TV. I am tying to use the My Tuner app to listen to radio. Whenever I have the app running, the chromecast will go into abient mode after 10mins then turn off completely after 11mins. I have tried the following.

* Turning off ambient mode - while using the app the chromecast doesn't go into ambient mode, but still turns off after 10mins

* Changing power settings to never turn off if idle - the chromecast still turned off at 10mins 

* I turned ambient made back on and left the chromecast running at idle without any apps running - the chromecast went into ambient mode at 10mins, and did not turn off for over 30mins while I was testing it

* I tried installing the TuneIn Radio app and it while running the app the chromecast did not turn off after testing for 30 mins

Can someone please help me fix this. I would like to use the My Tuner app because it is the only app  that has all the radio stations I want in one place.

Thanks,

[Kimy]

Hi Potzki,

Our team is already aware of this and is currently investigating this issue. Since this is the same discussion, we'll move this conversation to the main thread, and we'll continue to update it as soon as we have some news to share.

Please note that once done, this thread will be locked.

Thanks,

Kimy

[joebuckeye]

I have a large group (this happens when its only 2 devices too) And I am playing music to several Chromecasts throughout my home. The ones that are Google TV with a remote Chromecasts turn off even though they are playing music! I have the ambient timer maxed out. Why would they turn off if they are actively playing stuff? They all shut off at the same time and it pauses the other chromecasts as well.

Im afraid I will just have to replace them with old school chromecasts instead.

Any help would be appreciated! 

[Richhe]

Agree, this seems to be an issue. Just purchased one myself for a continuous slide show / ambient mode but setting the idle shut off to NEVER doesn't help, it still shuts off the TV after about 4 hours. Disappointing. I saw in a reddit thread that perhaps a recent update may have caused this issue?

 https://www.reddit.com/r/Chromecast/comments/13c1s2o/chromecast_with_google_tv_turns_off_after_4_hou...

[Kimy]

Hi folks,

Our team is already aware of this and is currently investigating this issue. Since this is the same discussion, we'll move this conversation to the main thread, and we'll continue to update it as soon as we have some news to share.

Please note that once done, this thread will be locked.

Thanks,

Kimy

[Heathe]

Hello Kimy, 

I have the same problem with powering off after some time. It was so annoying that I tried factory reset (twice) and after finishing the installation I was not able to setup the remote buttons. When I tap to add device > TV > it says "Something went wrong". I also did the troubleshooting with the remote (restart etc.) and it's happening over and over... Is there any solution?

Thank you. 

[krogsbell]

Using Chromecast to show Ambient of many Google Photos all day long.

Now the screen goes black after 4-6 hours and I have seen a text asking to hit a key, just before the screen goes black.

The time out of the device is set to 'Never'

Is there another setting that controls this behaviour?

The Ambient mode has run for several years without this problem!

Regards

Hans

[Kimy]

Hi krogsbell,

Thanks for posting here in the Google Nest Community. A few questions: what Chromecast device are you using? Were there any changes made prior to this happening? What steps have you taken? Give the steps below a try and let me know how it goes:

• Ensure that the TV has no sleep settings configured.
• Reboot your Chromecast, TV, and Wi-Fi router.
• Ensure that the Chromecast device is not configured to sleep.
• Do a factory reset, then set it up again.

Thanks,

Kimy

[krogsbell]

Hi Kimy!

Chromecast with Google TV 4K

All this has been done without any improvement.

The Chromecast is set to sleep - never.

In about 6 hours the screen shows the text that a buttom should be hit as Chromecast otherwise would go to sleep.

Rehgards

Hans

[Kimy]

Hi there,

Thanks for the details. Our team is already aware of this and is currently investigating this issue. Since this is the same discussion, we'll move this conversation to the main thread, and we'll continue to update it as soon as we have some news to share.

Please note that once done, this thread will be locked.

Regards,

Kimy

[Lorenzo2]

Hi. I know the developers are working on this but I thought I would provide info on my experience with this issue. I have 2 TVs each with the Google TV Chromecast. Only 1 is experiencing this problem.

TV 1(experiencing the issue)- Samsung model UN55JU67ODF; Chromecast cast is plugged into a GE surge protector wich is plugged into a wall socket 

TV 2 (not experiencing the issue)- Samsung model UN50F6800AF; Chromecast is plugged into a Bestek surge protector which is plugged into a wall socket.

All settings are the same; both power settings are set to "never". Both Chromecasts were set up at the same time & have had updates. Let me know if you need any more info. 

[kookatron]

I'm sure any info is valuable to the developers.

Really hope they fix this soon, Chromecast is not meeting my needs with this bug and I will have to replace it with something else if it isn't fixed.

[anthonyct]

Settings -> System -> Power & Energy -> Automatically Turn Off TV / When Inactive -> [Never]

This setting was broken 1 or 2 software updates ago and Chromecast now automatically power off exactly 4 hours after the last button press on the remote.

I've tested on multiple different branded TVs with separate Chromecasts (same model) and the issue occurs on each of them.

The issue does not occur when using a FireTV stick on the same TV while running the same video player app.  All timeouts for the TV and installed app are disabled as well.

Disabling power optimization for the installed app does not resolve the issue.

Turning stay awake on in developer options (Settings -> System -> Developer options -> [Stay awake]) for the Chromecast DOES keep the TV on and rules out the TV and other software as the issue.

Is this being addressed in a future software update?

For anyone that really wants to know how to enable developer options, any support staff here are going to tell you not to do it.  I was personally sick of this not being fixed after a month and my parrot being stuck in a dead silent room all day while I'm at work.  (Settings -> System -> About -> [Android TV OS Build]) You select Android TV OS Build and press the button a bunch of times until a message saying you have enabled developer mode shows up.  Then the menu to get to the [Stay awake] option I listed above will be present.  Aside from having to toggle on the [Enable developer options] and [Stay awake] don't change anything else and you'll be totally fine.  Ambient mode won't trigger anymore however unless you manually start it.