Since January 10th, users of Windows Phone smartphone can no longer access the mobile services of YouTube website. The http://m.youtube.com is originally designed for feature phones and it’s based on HTML5 technology, which is useful for devices with no Adobe Flash support. But, many WP users also prefer to use the service directly from web browser.
Now, Google seems to require Windows Phone users to install YouTube app, instead of accessing the mobile site on the browser. The problem becomes apparent when Desktop Mode is enabled on Windows Phone 8 when using IE web browser. Users of Windows Phone 7.x have no options at all, as they can’t play YouTube videos from the browser in any mode. This would lead us into a conclusion that Google is doing something to Windows Phone devices.
Previously, Google redirected users of Windows Phone 8 devices when they try to open http://maps.google.com. Google argued that the service is designed only for Webkit-based browsers such as Google Chrome and Safari. The change has also forced WP users to install the official Google Map app, instead of accessing the service through the IE web browser.
