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As a big fan of Google’s ecosystem, Chromecasts are my go-to method for streaming on my dumb TVs. But getting them to work properly isn’t always that easy.
One of the most popular errors that occur during the setup process is the ‘Could not communicate with your Chromecast’ message. In this guide, I’ll explain why this is happening and how you can resolve it.
If you’re trying to set up your Chromecast and you’re receiving the error message ‘Could not communicate with your Chromecast’ after choosing your Wi-Fi network, this is most likely because your Chromecast is looking for the wrong Wi-Fi network.
This error generally occurs when you’ve changed your router, moved house, or updated any settings on your existing router.
Luckily, fixing the problem shouldn’t be too difficult as there are several things you can do to get it working again. I will explain them in the best order to try them.
Here are the instructions for resetting your Chromecast:
If you’re unsure where the reset button is, see this image with a first-gen device. Remember, the Chromecast must remain plugged in, I have unplugged it for the purpose of this photo.
The steps for this are the same for both iPhone and Android, as follows:
Your settings are saved in the cloud so you will not lose your homes, devices, or routines when you do this. Now, try again to set up the Chromecast.
This is as simple as unplugging the router and waiting for a few seconds before plugging it back in again. Make sure you let everyone in the household know that you are resetting the Wi-Fi as it can take a few minutes to get up and running again.
At the end of this article are some further generic tips that you may find useful when setting up your Chromecast and resolving error messages.
If you have a TV with Chromecast built-in, there won’t be a physical reset button so the above steps will not help.
Instead, you’ll need to reset the Chromecast built-in app on the TV itself.
Here are the instructions for doing this:
These instructions may vary slightly depending upon the TV manufacturer.
The above tips are specific to the ‘Could Not Communicate With Your Chromecast’ error, however, here are some more general Chromecast tips when dealing with errors:
From time to time, Google will release an update to the firmware running on the Chromecast. You should ensure this is up to date for an error-free experience.
You can see which version your Chromecast is running by tapping on the device within the Google Home app and choosing settings. At the very bottom of the page, it will display the current firmware version. You can compare this to the firmware information provided by Google here.
The firmware will automatically update when the Chromecast is rebooted. To reboot your Chromecast, on the same settings screen as just mentioned, choose the three dots icon from the top right-hand corner and select ‘reboot’.
You should also ensure that the Google Home app is running the latest version, visit the Google Home page in the App Store or Google Play Store, an option to update will appear if it’s running an older version.
Wi-Fi routers can run on two different frequencies, 2.4Ghz, and 5Ghz. A dual-band router runs on both. It may switch your devices between the frequencies by itself, or it may have separate networks for each frequency.
Although a Chromecast should be able to connect to both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz, many other devices can only connect to 2.4Ghz, especially older tech.
If you are receiving communication error messages or your Chromecast is stuttering or laggy, this could be the culprit.
To resolve it, switch the Chromecast to the 2.4Ghz band. The way to do this will vary by router, some have the option to separate the two bands whereas others have a setting that temporarily disables the 5Ghz band for when these issues occur.
Refer to the manual or support pages of your router for more help with this.
Chromecasts come with a USB cable that is intended to be plugged into the rear of your TV. Most TVs have powered USB ports, however, some TVs have both powered and unpowered ports.
Ensure you are using a powered port and that the power exceeds 1 amp. If you are in doubt, try using a USB power adaptor for a wall socket to see if that helps.