Remember Windows Phone? The ill-fated Microsoft mobile operating system that tried to compete with iOS and Android, before being unceremoniously killed off by Microsoft a few years ago? Well in a blast from the past, a team of Reddit hobbyists has apparently developed an updated version of the YouTube app for Windows Phone devices.

It’s the year 2024 and Windows Phone has been dead for ages. Microsoft infamously spent billions acquiring Nokia’s phone division, only to shutter Windows Phone development shortly thereafter. The platform suffered from an “app gap” compared to iOS and Android, with Google in particular limiting access to its popular apps like YouTube. Without crucial apps like YouTube, Windows Phone struggled to gain traction.

A community of loyal Windows Phone fans still exists, however. These Reddit users have found a way to get YouTube working again on old Windows Phone devices. Since the Microsoft Store is defunct, users will have to “sideload” the homebrew YouTube app. There’s no guarantee Google won’t block it, but a niche Windows Phone YouTube app is likely not on their priority list.

This quirky development highlights the enduring, if small, Windows Phone enthusiast community. It also serves as another reminder of Microsoft’s mobile missteps. As Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admitted recently, killing Windows Phone was a mistake. Had Microsoft stayed the course, it could have been better positioned in mobile today with its strengths in AI, gaming, and productivity. Instead, its ambitions on rival platforms are constrained.

So while few will actually use this “new” YouTube for Windows Phone app, its existence sparks some tech nostalgia for what might have been. It’s 2024 and Windows Phone still has its fans – enough to keep creating apps, against all odds.