By The Google Chromecast is great, but every so often, it needs to be reset. If the device is frozen, or if you’re moving to a new home and want to restore it to factory settings, you will need to perform what’s known as a factory data reset (FDR) on the Chromecast.
If your Chromecast isn’t working properly, or you can’t seem to cast from your phone or tablet, you might want to reset it. Resetting your Chromecast will refresh the device, and restore it to its factory settings. This means you’ll be able to use it again as though it was fresh out of the box. Here’s how to reset your Chromecast in two ways.
Source: The Verge
How to Factory Reset Chromecast
Resetting your Chromecast back to its default factory settings is very quick and easy. You can push the factory reset button on your Chromecast device, and then disconnect and reconnect the power cable. Or you can reset your device from the Google Home app on your phone or tablet.
1. Press and hold down the reset button on your Chromecast. If you’re using a model, like the second- or third-generation Chromecast or a Chromecast Ultra, you’ll see the reset button on the side of the device. In this case, just hold down the reset button until the LED light stops blinking orange and turns white.
Source: The Verge
Note: If you’re using a first-generation Chromecast, you’ll find the reset button on the back of your streaming device. Just hold down the button until the light on your streaming device begins flashing. This could take 25 seconds, and you’ll need to hold down the reset button the whole time.
2. Next, disconnect the USB power cable. Then wait for a few seconds.
3. Finally, reconnect the USB power cable to your Chromecast. This will factory reset your device.
You can also reset your devicefrom the Google Home app on your phone or tablet. To start the reset process, make sure you connected your Chromecast and mobile device to the same Wi-Fi network. Then, follow these simple steps below.
How to Reset Chromecast from Google Home App
1. Open up the Google Home app on your Android or iOS device.
2. Find the specific Chromecast device you want to reset.
3. Go to the Settings gear, located in the top right-hand corner.
4. Go to the More option, which looks like three dots stacked on top of each other.
5. Choose Factory Reset.
6. Confirm that you want to reset your device.
Reset Chromecast Gen. 1 Via The Dongle
- With the Chromecast plugged into the TV, hold down the side button on the dongle for 25 seconds or more, waiting for the white LED to start blinking red.
- Once the LED steadily turns white, let go, and the Chromecast will reboot to complete the reset process.
Resetting Chromecast (2nd and 3rd Generation)
The factory reset options on Generation 2 and Generation 3 Chromecast dongles are very similar to resetting Generation 1 Chromecast devices. However, you do not need to hold the reset button down for 25 seconds, and the LED colors are different. When using Android or iOS to reset Chromecast, it is almost identical for all versions because it is based on the app, although your OS version may look different.
Reset Chromecast Gen. 2, Gen. 3, and Gen. 3 Ultra Via The App
1. Open up the Google Home app on your Android or iOS device.
2. Find the specific Chromecast device you want to reset.
3. Go to the Settings gear, located in the top right-hand corner.
4. Go to the More option, which looks like three dots stacked on top of each other.
5. Choose Factory Reset.
6. Confirm that you want to reset your device.
What To Do When ‘Factory Reset’ Doesn’t Appear
If you’ve followed the steps above, you may have noticed that a few menu options are missing compared to the ones in the screenshots above. Don’t worry though, there’s an easy fix.
If ‘Factory Reset’ is missing in the menu it’s because your smartphone isn’t communicating with the streaming device. There are two reasons for this.
First, make sure that your smartphone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast device. If you aren’t on the same Wi-Fi network you’ll be missing the option to reset your device along with other options.
Next, make sure that the television that your Chromecast is plugged into is on as well. Turn the TV on and go to the input that activates the Chromecast device. Then, open the Home app and follow the instructions above. The ‘Factory Reset’ option should appear.
Reason Behind Factory Reset
The most common reason to factory reset a Chromecast is because you’re having trouble or connection issues and you can’t update your Wi-Fi. Another reason may be that you need to connect to a new Wi-Fi but the old one isn’t available. Lastly, you will have to do a factory reset on your Chromecast if you intend to sell it or let another user have it.
However, there are some basic troubleshooting steps that you can take to avoid a factory reset if you’re having issues. For example, if you are having connection issues you can forget the current network and simply add it back.
Fortunately, the Chromecast has an incredibly simple setup process. So even if you do have to perform a factory reset, it isn’t as much of a hassle as some other tech devices. As you can see, resetting Google Chromecast is simple, regardless of how you do it. Just remember that a reset erases ALL data, so your customizations and third-party apps will be gone forever.
Comments