Picture of the original packaging for the Google Chromecast Audio receiver, front view.

How to Reboot Chromecast Audio

Shows how to reboot Chromecast Audio device.  Now you may wish to reboot Google Chromecast Audio receiver if you notice the following.

  • It shows poor or slow performance.
  • The receiver does not play when you cast to it.
  • It emits strange noises through the attached speakers.
  • It breaks up, chirps, pops, or squeals.

Always try a Chromecast device restart first (described here), as this often clears up many problems, and avoids the unnecessary action of hard resetting your receiver.

How to Reboot Chromecast Audio Method One: The Local Method

To reboot Chromecast Audio if you’re near it, you can do the folling.

  • Unplug it from AC power.
  • Wait ten seconds.
  • Then plug it back in.

Best way is to unplug the far end of the USB cord from the AC outlet.

The Chromecast Audio will finish rebooting in less than a minute.

Reboot Chromecast Audio Method Two: The Remote Method

But perhaps you are far away from your Chromecast Audio receiver.  E.g. Maybe you are downstairs from it. In that case, you can send a reboot command to it via the Google Home app as follows. Plus, you don’t have to get near it.

This method depends on the following.

  • You need the Google Home app on your phone or tablet.
  • The app must also link to the same Google account as the Chromecast device to reboot.
  • You must connect your phone or tablet to the same local network as the Chromecast Audio.

If all of that is in place, then do the following, to effect a remote device reboot.

1. Run the Google Home App on your Tablet or Phone

We’re using an iPad Air computer tablet in this scenario. This app is located on page three of our iPad’s home screen, although yours may appear in a different location, depending on how many apps you have installed as well as how you might have arranged them.

Picture of the Google Home App entry, as shown on the iOS home screen.
Google Home App entry, as shown on the iOS home screen.

Upon running this app, the Google home screen appears, as follows.

Picture of the Google Home app on iOS, displaying the Home screen, with the Hamburger control highlighted.
Google Home app on iOS, displaying the Home screen, with the Hamburger control highlighted.

2. Tap the  Hamburger  Menu Control

located in the top left corner of the Google Home app Home screen, as pointed at in the previous picture by the pink arrow. This brings up the main menu as shown next.

Picture of the Google Home app on iOS, displaying its main menu, with the devices item highlighted.
Google Home app on iOS, displaying its main menu, with the devices item highlighted.




3. Tap the   Devices   Menu Item

This brings up a list of your local Google devices that have been configured on the current Google account, as shown next for our case.

4. Find the Chromecast Audio Device you Wish to Reboot

Look for that Chromecast by scrolling down through the list until you find it. We currently only have one of these, called “bedroom speakers.” So we found ours straight away, as shown next.

Picture of the Google Chromecast Audio receiver as it appears in the Google Home app, with its device control menu button circled.
Google Chromecast Audio receiver as it appears in the Google Home app, with its device control menu button circled.

5. Tap the Chromecast Audio Device’s Hamburger Menu Control 

Fine that control menu link in the top right corner of the Chromecast Audio card, as shown inside the purple circle in the last picture.

The Chromecast’s control menu then appears, as shown next.

Picture of the Google Chromecast Audio receiver, as shown in the Google Home app, with its Reboot option circled.
Google Chromecast Audio receiver, as shown in the Google Home app, with its Reboot option circled.

6. Tap the   Reboot   Menu Item

The Reboot option is circled in purple in the previous picture. The Reboot Confirmation dialog then displays, something like that shown in the next picture.

Picture of the Google Chromecast Audio receiver, as shown in the Google Home app, displaying the Reboot Confirmation dialog box. with the Reboot button circled.
Google Chromecast Audio receiver, as shown in the Google Home app, displaying the Reboot Confirmation dialog box. with the Reboot button circled.




7. Tap the   REBOOT Link in the Reboot Confirmation Dialog Box

This initiates a remote reboot of your Chromecast receiver, closes the reboot confirmation dialog box, and returns you to the Devices List screen. Your receiver will temporarily disappear from this screen while it reboots, and will reappear once the restart finishes.

Note the light on your Chromecast Audio device. It should indicate that a reboot is in progress within thirty seconds of your issuing the reboot command by turning from white to orange, as shown next.  The purple arrow points at the orange pilot lamp in the next picture.

Picture of the Google Chromecast Audio receiver with rebooting in progress, showing orange pilot lamp. Reboot Chromecast Audio.
Google Chromecast Audio receiver with rebooting in progress, showing orange pilot lamp.

8. Done with How to Reboot Chromecast Audio !

Once the receiver again appears in the Devices list in the Google Home app, and its pilot light has turned from orange back to white again, reboot has finished successfully, and you can once again try casting to it. Hopefully, rebooting has solved any issues you were experiencing. If not, you can always try more drastic measures, such as hard resetting your Chromecast, and then setting it up again. See our links in the Related Posts section below for instructions on how to take those more drastic steps. Good luck.

Other Posts About Chromecast Audio

  1. How to Restart Chromecast Audio

Related Posts to How to Reboot Chromecast Audio

  1. How to Reboot iPod Touch Player with Unresponsive Touch Screen
  2. Unboxing and Connecting Google Chromecast Audio Receiver
  3. How to Reboot the Harman Kardon Invoke Cortana Smart Speaker
  4. Where is the Reset Button on the Google Chromecast Audio Receiver
  5. How to Reboot the Google Home Mini Smart Speaker

References for Reboot Chromecast Audio

  1. Reboot your Chromecast Audio device, from Google Support
  2. How to Factory Data Reset (FDR) your Chromecast Audio, from Google Support

Revision History

  • 2020-05-08: Added tags.
  • 2019-05-04: Added key phrase targeting for ‘Reboot Chromecast Audio’.  Added more tags, deleted ad code, and fixed some typos.
  • 2017-11-05: Originally published.