Some original Chromecast dongles are no longer working, and nobody knows why

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR First-generation Chromecast devices are suddenly failing for many users, with apps like YouTube and HBO Max no longer detecting the 2013 dongle. The issue appears inconsistent, as some services like Spotify and Disney+ still work on affected devices. Users suspect a backend change may have broken the aging hardware, though there’s no evidence Google intentionally disabled the devices.