Windows Phone 8 users cannot access Google Maps from the browser

Windows Phone 8 users are complaining today that they cannot access Google Maps through the operating system’s browser. Quite obviously, this could be a bug, or a deliberate move by Google to exclude the mobile platform.

The former is far more likely than the latter. TNW has requested comment from Google on the situation.

Readers of The Verge and others have reported the error, implying that it is widespread, and not a random issue of any sort. Windows Phone 8, Microsoft’s revamped mobile operating system, is based on a Windows core, making the bug harder to parse.

According to WMPowerUser, the lack of access appears to be oddly localized: “Strangely enough, for now, maps.google.co.uk works perfectly fine, indicating some switch somewhere did get flipped.” We’ll know more shortly.

Image credit: Stephen Lam / Getty Images