Chromecast: Connection Problems, Screen Sharing and Other Failures

You repeatedly disconnect and connect, but everything remains the same. If you have problems with your Google Chromecast , you will have to try other solutions. So we are going to tell you how to restart it and even return to its factory state in case you have decided to give it to someone.

Chromecast: Connection Problems

If your Chromecast lately is not working correctly or if it is giving you errors that you are not very clear about why they happen, we will tell you that most of the time they can be solved by just restarting it.

At other times the problem may be somewhat more complex and the solution is to restore the factory settings . Something that, all said, will also be interesting if you intend to give that Chromecast to another user. Especially important if it is the new Chromecast with Google TV.

As there are several generations of Chromecast, we are going to give you the keys for each of them. This way you will not have problems when it comes to identifying what the process is like according to the model. And if you wonder which is which, it is very easy: there are the conventional Chromecasts and then the usefully model with Google TV.

How to restart your Chromecast

On conventional Chromecasts (1st, 2nd, 3rd generation and Chromecast Ultra) you can perform a reset in two different ways. If the device still responds to your interactions, you can choose the first method that uses the Google Home app on your smartphone. If it is unresponsive and totally hung up, then go to the second method.

Using Google Home

As long as your Chromecast is accessible and connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your mobile phone or tablet, you can restart it using the Google Home app.

To do this, do the following:

1. Open the app and tap on your Chromecast
2. Now go to Settings> More settings> Restart
3. Ready, in a matter of a minute, you will have your Chromecast available again and with said error or problem solved

Unplug the power cord

Sometimes the problem we suffer is due to a crash of the operating system and the solution is as simple as disconnecting the cable that feeds it and reconnecting.

This will cause the software to restart. Although if you want a correct and recommended sequence, follow these steps:

1. Disconnect the power to the Chromecast and remove it from the HDMI port
2. Wait about a minute
3. Reconnect the power cord and then to the HDMI port of the TV, screen or projector you are using

How to reset your Chromecast with Google TV

In the event that you have a Chromecast with Google TV, you will already know that its operating system (based on Android) is more complex than that of the first generations. This provides advantages, but it is also easier to generate a problem.

Don’t worry anyway because it is also very easy to reboot. And as it happens with some mobiles, in addition to most likely improving the error that it is giving you, you will also gain an extra in fluency because sometimes the operating system slows down itself.

There are two ways to restart a Chromecast with Google TV.

Using the remote

On the main screen of the Chromecast, scroll to the right where the circle with your Google username appears and click to bring up the sidebar.

Below your username, a menu will appear with your account, notifications and more information. Click on Settings. Now go to System and then fridge to the option that reboot index.

Disconnecting the cable

If with the remote you could not restart your Chromecast with Google TV, the solution is to completely disconnect it from the screen and the power. Yes, in the same way as with the previous Chromecast. Again, leave it unplugged for a minute and then reconnect.

How to factory reset the Chromecast

With the previous steps, any common Chromecast error, whatever the model, should be resolved. But if it is not like that or, for example, you want to do it because you are going to give it to other users to use it in their day to day, you will have to restart it.

As you can guess, the restart is a kind of “formatting” so any data will be erased from the device. Something important if you have any data that you want to keep and very useful to ensure that no one will be able to access the data of your Google account that you associate.

Again, depending on the Chromecast model the process may vary.

1st generation Chromecast

For first-generation Chromecasts, the process can be done in two ways. With the Google Home app:

1. Open the Google Home app on your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet
2. Select your Chromecast from the list and navigate to Settings
3. If it is the iPhone or iPad app in settings click on “Remove Device”, then touch on Factory reset and finally, confirm
4. If you have Android, go to the More menu located in the upper right corner and then to Factory reset , touch and confirm the process

From the device itself you have to do this:

1. With the Chromecast still connected to the TV, locate the Chromecast button right next to the port where you connect the power cord. Press and hold the button for a few seconds, the led indicator will start flashing red, faster and faster
2. After approximately 25 seconds, the led will begin to blink white and you will lose the signal on the television. The Chromecast will restart and ask you to set it up from scratch.

Chromecast 2nd, 3rd Gen and Chromecast Ultra

With the Google Home app:

1. If the Chromecast you want to reset is accessible, open the Google Home app, select your Chromecast, and navigate to Settings.
2. If you are using an iPhone or iPad, select “Remove device” first. If, on the other hand, you are using Android, go to the “More” button, at the top right.
2. Tap “Factory Reset” twice to confirm and wait patiently for the process to complete.

And from the device itself, when the Chromecast is not available from our smartphone, we will perform the reset directly on the Chromecast. To do this, we will locate the button on the side of the Chromecast. We will press it and the led will begin to flash orange. When the led turns white, we will release the button. The Chromecast will restart and we can configure it from scratch.

Chromecast with Google TV

From the Chromecast voice control remote

1. Use the remote to scroll to the upper right of your TV.
2. Select your profile and go to Settings, exactly the same as in the process we have explained to restart the device.
3. In settings, navigate to System, Information and Factory reset. Confirm the dialog and wait a few minutes for the Chromecast to restart before you can proceed to configure it again.

And to do it from the device itself, without resorting to the remote or because you don’t have it at hand, do this:

1. Press and hold the Chromecast button with Google TV for a few seconds. The button is located on the back of the product.
2. The led will start flashing yellow. We keep the button pressed until the indicator turns white and stops flashing. Once this happens, we release the button and the Chromecast will restart to restore its factory settings.

With these steps you should be able to solve most of the problems of incompatibility, lack of sound or loss of Wi-Fi connection that occur in the day to day with your Google Chromecast.

In case the problem continues to exist even after proceeding with the factory reset, you will have to explore other ways, such as analyzing if the problems are due to the Wi-Fi connection in your home or simply considering that our case is a hardware defect , for which we should process the product warranty if we still have it.