Device Utility

Google LLC

About this app

Use this app to add your Google, Nest, Google Nest, and partner devices to your home in the Google Home app. The Device Utility app is only for adding devices. Once you're done adding a device, you can control it with the Google Home app and delete the Device Utility from your phone.

Ratings and reviews

This app does not natively support older Chromecasts (audios in my case). This utility REQUIRES you to disable wifi to even begin the search for a new device. But CCA's and older Chromecasts do not have BT, they require WIFI. So after you begin searching for the device (having disabled wifi) you have to go in the background and re-enable it. Then the CCA will be discovered, and activated. After that, you are presented with a button to proceed back to the Home app, and the setup finished.

Don't bother, it won't work. I installed this to "activate" a first gen Chromecast that worked perfectly well. After an infuriating workflow that requires me to turn off wifi, knowing full well I'll have to turn it on again, all I get is "could not communicate with your Chromecast." No additional troubleshooting, no attempts to explain the problem. I even factory reset the thing, to no avail. So don't waste your time. This app doesn't do anything.

This app is an absolute failure. I've been trying to connect my Chromecast for 2 days with no success. You would think that Google would be capable of making an app that actually worked. They should have been working on this sooner, knowing that they might possibly lose the lawsuit with Sonos. Edit: After a few weeks of being unable to reconnect my Chromecast they have changed the app in some way that it's finally working. It only took me two tries this time and it was connected.

What's new

First release of Device Utility.