Google’s YouTube Not Working with Windows Phone? Here with Go Again?

Not too long ago we reported on a bit of Google-Microsoft drama regarding Windows Phone and Google Maps. At the time it was believed that users were being purposely withheld from using Google Maps on their Microsoft Windows Phone handsets.

Instead, they were redirected to Google’s homepage. Google eventually piped up and said it was on purpose and that it was because Windows Phone (IE, specifically) wasn’t optimized properly for use on Google Maps.

This lead many sites like Neowin to “fake” their Windows Phone devices as something other than a WP-based device, and the result was that it worked reasonably well.

Shortly later, Google returned access to Google Maps saying they had reevaluated the platform and with recent changes to Internet Explorer for Windows Phone, they felt it was now acceptable enough to run Google Maps. More than likely though, they were simply caught with their pants down and reacted in order to further cause trouble.

Fast-forwarding to last weekend, new reports are surfacing suggesting that Google is up to the same old same, this time with YouTube and Windows Phone. Apparently going to m.youtube.com on Internet Explorer will no longer show a list of videos that can be used– it instead prompts them to download an app.

As you might already know, searching for an app won’t do you any good as there is no official YouTube app in the first place. The good news is that MetroTube and a few other 3rd party apps are reportedly still working.

This latest YouTube issue doesn’t appear to be as cut and dry as the Google Maps fiasco. While EVERYONE reported that Google Maps wasn’t working, some users on the net are reporting that the mobile version of YouTube still works just fine on their Windows Phone device.

In other words, it might vary depending on device, version of Windows Phone and perhaps the market you live in. With the erratic nature of this YouTube error, I’d say it was nothing more than an error– or at least I’d like to. With the way Google has been playing things recently though, it is becoming harder to give them the benefit of the doubt at this point.

Any of our readers having difficulty accessing m.youtube.com on their Windows Phone handset or not?

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