USERS of Google’s original Chromecast dongle have been warned that their devices may begin to stop working as well as they used to.
It follows Google quietly ending support for its first-generation dongle – which turns any old telly into a smart TV – after nearly a decade.
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This means that there will no longer be any updates to features or security fixes to bugs that may emerge.
Once a glitch crawls out of the woodwork, it’s there to stay.
People “may notice a degradation in performance” over time, Google said in an update to its Chromecast page.
Some argue the dip in quality has been around for a while now as Google brought out newer alternatives.
On a Chromecast subreddit, one user said that the move “makes sense”.
“I stopped using mine a while back because of how dreadfully slow it was.
“My parents at home never quite figured out/cared how to use it.
“Just wish it didn’t become e-waste and that the chip could be used for something else.”
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However, others still prefer to use the first-gen Chromecast dongle over newer smart TVs.
Nonetheless, Google has warned customers that it will no longer offer any form of “technical support” for users struggling with the device.
So, it’s probably time for an upgrade for most.
The last update the device will ever receive was rolled out on April 27 – but few people noticed until recently, according to TechRadar.
Google had been slowly shutting off its updates for some time.
The last big update was issued back in November 2022, which “itself was the first update in over three years”, according to 9to5 Google.
For those wanting to upgrade and get rid of their old Chromecast dongle, Google has a recycling programme for unwanted hardware.
The company will send you a free shipping label that you can use to send the device back.
Or, you can hop onto Google Maps to find a recycler near you.
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