More concerning to me was the fairly recent removal of non-phone-app setup. It used to be that a chromecast would display a 4 character code on screen, which could be used to activate it from the browser.

Now, they require that it be managed with the google Home app, and have discontinued the method that allowed chromecast use without installing additional google software on your phone.

This made for a really disheartening christmas experience, when I first assured my mother that no, we could skip this stuff with your phone, only to find out that no, she would indeed have to make that sacrifice.

Especially frustrating is that my same devices, validated with the old method, continue to function just fine.

Does anyone with more knowledge than I have know of a reason for this that isn't data-greedy or consumer-hostile? From my perspective, "Don't be evil" has been dead long enough that the bones are sunbleached.