Last week was a week of ups and downs for those of us who love Chromecast: on the one hand Google announced its ambitious Google TV Streamer and on the other we found out that the arrival of this more premium model also meant the end of Chromecast with Google TV, as the Mountain View-based company plans to stop selling their successful TV dongles.
So, as soon as the Google TV Streamer goes on sale, Chromecasts with Google TV will be discontinued. That doesn’t mean they’ll be completely abandoned (although they’re functional): Google will continue to provide software updates like Android 14.
Android 14 TV is coming to Chromecast, but in limited numbers
Although at the Made by Google event we were able to learn about the new Google Pixel 9 and its vitaminized and brand new set top box for the television, Android Authority explains that they were able to speak with several Google TV product managers about the new device and the Android TV 14 features that it will include. And as interesting as this information is, the arrival of this update to other devices such as the old Chromecastbut in a cropped form.
In short: that There will be an update for Chromecast with Google TV but it will not come with all the new featuresAn example: the Thread protocol that allows the device to function as a hub, if the device does not have the necessary hardware, it obviously will not be able to function in this way.
Actually Google launching Android 14 for its Chromecast is not a surpriseconsidering that it had already committed to providing software and security updates when it announced its plan to kill off Chromecasts. In fact, the schedule is as follows: the Chromecast with Google TV 4K will receive security updates until the end of September 2025, and the Chromecast with Google TV HD will do the same until the end of September 2027.
If we review its versions, the 4K model arrived with Android TV 10 and then received an update to Android TV 12 while the HD was launched with Android TV 12, so the update with Android TV 14 would be respectively its second and first major update. Of course, We do not know the date of arrival of these updates to your dongles.
Cover | Enrique Perez (Xataka)