If you had previously been using Cheapcast or were finally deciding to take some friends advice by going to download and install the app, you might be met with an unpleasant surprise that the app is no longer available in the Play Store for users to get their hands on. The app was reportedly pulled by the developer and not taken down by Google, but the pulling of the app seems to be in direct correlation to some updates made to the cast software. Cheapcast was basically a way for users to basically turn any Android device that had the app installed into a Chromecast type device to cast media.
The issue with the Cheapcast app has to do with the way that Google has set up the checks for devices which support the cast SDK and casting features. The new feature of the software basically checks for a Google signed certificate, and without having one the support of such apps like Cheapcast begins to fail. Presumably, since the Cheapcast app wouldn’t technically work with updated app versions after this signed certificate becomes a factor to making the cast feature work, a user may be able to continue using Cheapcast with older app versions, although we have no way to check this as no one at the AH team has Cheapcast or outdated version of such apps. So, if you’re someone that rarely updates apps and hasn’t done so for things like Google Play Music or YouTube in quite a while, you might still be able to keep the app running. Although for those who have yet to use it the time for testing it out is over for now.
The developer of the app reportedly has plans to bring it back to the Play Store if possible, but at the moment that seems fairly unlikely. For now if you want the feature of casting media to your TV it seems you’re limited to official options like the Chromecast itself, or other streaming sticks like the Roku. The Chromecast isn’t exactly a hard to find product anymore like it was when Cheapcast was released, so dropping $35 for it might be less of a headache than trying to find an alternative means to the Cheapcast app.