YouTube comes to Windows Phone 7 (no thanks to Google, Microsoft)


Want to watch YouTube on your shiny new Windows Phone 7 handset? You can… but since Google hasn’t released an official app and because Microsoft didn’t bake support into the operating system, you’re going to have to rely on a third party app.

A few days ago HTC released a free app for anyone with a Windows Phone 7 device built by the handset maker.

But if you don’t have an HTC phone, it turns out you can also pay $1.99 for an app called RealTube which will let you watch YouTube on WP7. Oh yeah, it also lets you view content from a number of other Flash video sites including CNN, DailyMotion, FunnyorDie, MySpace, and MSN.

The app converts Adobe Flash video to Silverlight, which is necessary because Windows Phone 7 doesn’t currently support Flash.

RealTube isn’t a complete YouTube app, meaning it won’t let you manage your YouTube account, view updates from your friends, or all those other features you would expect from a dedicated YouTube app.

The company offers a 15 day free trial if you want to check out RealTube before paying for it.

WP Central posted a demo video, which you can check out after the break.

Update: It turns out that while Windows Phone 7 doesn’t officially support HTML5 or Flash in the browser, there’s also a YouTube plugin from Microsoft which lets you click on any YouTube video from your browser to open it in a YouTube player. It also adds a shortcut for YouTube to your list of applications, but basically it just opens m.youtube.com in your browser. via PocketNow

Brad Linder

Brad Linder is editor of Liliputing and Mobiputing. He's been tinkering with mobile tech for decades and writing about it since 2006. Brad has also worked with NPR, WHYY, PRI, and AOL.

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Posted in Paid,Windows Phone
December 20th, 2010 | Author:


  • FactsStraight

    “Microsoft didn’t bake support into the operating system”

    That’s not the whole story. While it’s true that YouTube is not supported out of the box, there has been a plug-in available since day one FROM MS that gives you full access. There’s also a pretty good app from Lazy Worm that gives you more browsing options that’s been available in the marketplace for quite some time.

  • Minton227

    Need to check your facts. My Windows phone came with a FREE youtube app already installed. No problem at all watching Youtube at all. You obviously have never used the phone.

  • http://liliputing.com/ Brad Linder

    Thanks, I’ve updated the post. It looks like these new apps still add some functionality, since they run as native apps while the plugin is basically just a browser plugin. But I wasn’t aware of that plugin when I wrote this article, so I’ve added the info.

  • Cyber_man99

    I’ve been watching Youtube…and searching youtube vids on my WP7 since Day 1

  • Mayfly007

    Sounds like Brad should have chosen something else to write about. Fail!

  • fdsdfsa

    I have been using free you tube app for few week snow without any issue. Please correct article

  • TRONoMATIC

    Um, I had the OFFICIAL YOUTUBE app on day one also. What the hell kind of misinformation is being pushed here.

  • Pingback: RealTube Brings YouTube, Flash Video To Windows Phone 7 | Lifehacker Australia

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