YouTube for Windows Phone has reverted to a web-based service after Microsoft and Google failed to resolve a dispute surrounding the native app for the video service.

With the 3.2 version of YouTube for Windows Phone, links to clips take users to their web browser, while clicking on the app icon will take them to the YouTube homepage.

Microsoft released a redesigned YouTube native app for Windows Phone in May but received a cease and desist letter from Google, saying the app violated YouTube’s terms of service by allowing users to download videos and by not displaying ads.

In response to Google’s demand that the app be blocked or pulled from Windows Phone Store, Microsoft released a new version without the download functionality — which Google then blocked.

On 24 May, the two companies said they were working together on an updated app that would meet both of their requirements, with Microsoft making an earlier version available that did not violate YouTube’s terms of service.

However, the dispute reignited in August when Google blocked the Windows Phone YouTube app again, saying that Microsoft needed to build an HTML5-based version. This was despite Android and iOS both having native YouTube apps.

Microsoft’s corporate VP and deputy general counsel, litigation and antitrust, David Howard, wrote at the time that “it’s clear that Google just doesn’t want Windows Phone users to have the same experience as Android and Apple users, and their objections are nothing other than excuses”.