What you need to know
- Users are reporting audio problems with using the group audio feature on supported Google products.
- Reports suggest the problem stems from the Chromecast with Google TV units interfering with the audio somehow.
- The issue has been reported as far back as October with no fix in sight.
Creating audio groups with the best Google Assistant speakers is one of the many perks of being part of the Google ecosystem. It can turn one singular speaker into a surround-sound experience, and can greatly enhance one's music experience. But according to Android Police, users have been reporting issues with the feature since October, claiming that audio will start out fine for a bit before eventually failing to play and being stuck in a buffer. If you're one of many users experiencing this, you're not alone, and the problem seems to come from Chromecast with Google TV units.
Casting audio to just the Chromecast unit doesn't seem to cause any problems, but casting to an audio group with the Chromecast unit included will bring up playback issues, regardless of the streaming service. It's not exactly clear why Chromecast with Google TV is causing this, but despite the updates and bug fixes that Google has rolled out over the months, no fix has been issued.
Users have pointed out workarounds to the problem, one of which requires adding the Chromecast unit to an existing speaker group after the audio is already being cast. This still seems to cause problems with the Chromecast audio, but the other speakers are apparently unaffected. It's not ideal, but until Google acknowledges the problem and provides a solution, it's the best option available for those of you experiencing the audio problems.
Have any readers experienced this problem? Has anyone figured out any helpful workarounds?
