Google is introducing a small update to the Chromecast with Google TV, following the previous update in late May. The latest update, referred to as STTE.230319.008.H1, comes after the STTE.230319.008.R1 release nearly a month ago. Interestingly, this new update has a file size of 59.61 MB, significantly smaller than the usual 150~ MB release size for security patches. It is important to note that this update applies to both the 4K and HD models of Chromecast, and it is worth mentioning that version numbers are not necessarily released in alphabetical order.
The changelog for this update only lists “bug fixes and performance improvements,” while the devices still retain the April 2023 security patch. Therefore, it is likely that this update addresses a limited number of issues that have arisen over the past few weeks. Google had previously released a similar update earlier this year.
No TV remote update is included in this release, and Google has not yet updated its Chromecast version page.
As we reported last month, Google has decided not to develop an Android 13 update for any Android or Google TV devices. This decision is not surprising given that Chromecast transitioned from Android 10 to 12 in October of last year. It appears that Google is following a two-year release cycle, similar to that of Wear OS, which will be moving from version 11 to 13 with the upcoming Wear OS 4 release later this year.
Meanwhile, Android TV 14 recently entered the beta phase. It will likely be some time before the stable release of Android TV 14, and it remains uncertain whether the current 4K and HD Chromecast models will receive updates to this operating system version.