The demise of the Windows Phone has long been accepted, but a recent discovery by a user named @endermanch has brought a smile to the faces of its few remaining fans. @endermanch has found a way to bypass YouTube’s anti-ad-blocker popup when viewing the streaming service in a browser by using an old Windows Phone user-agent.
According to Windows Central, this workaround can be achieved in Chrome by downloading and using a third-party user-agent tool. By selecting Windows Phone, users can remove the YouTube popup that hinders video playback for those with ad-blockers enabled.
The technique allows people to watch YouTube videos in Chrome without being bombarded by advertisements, which have increased in number recently. This also ensures that users are not bothered by popups demanding that they disable their ad-blockers.
However, it is highly likely that Google will put an end to this workaround, as the company has been relentless in pushing advertisements and promoting its ad-free YouTube Premium subscription. Google has historically been unhelpful towards the Windows Phone platform, refusing to offer support for its services and even blocking third-party apps that attempted to bridge the gap. It remains unclear why Google treated this relatively small smartphone platform so poorly, especially considering its willingness to support apps and services on iOS.
While this ad-blocker bypass is a small victory for the Windows Phone, it is also a reminder of what the platform could have been with more support and time to mature before Microsoft abandoned it. Despite its limitations, the Windows Phone community can now enjoy a bit of irony and laughter, proving that even in the afterlife, they can outsmart the giants of the smartphone industry.
[End of article]
