Microsoft’s canceled dual-screen version of Windows Phone has leaked, and you can now try it on a Surface Duo

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Microsoft scrapped its plans for a completely new version of Windows in 2018. This operating system, internally known as Andromeda, was intended for a phone with two screens. While it was meant to be a successor to the Windows Phone, the project was ultimately canceled and never released.

The device eventually released as the Surface Duo, but surprisingly, it ran on Android instead of Windows. We’ve never actually gotten to try the rumored dual-screen Windows Phone – until today.

Developer Gustave Monce recently made a leaked version of Andromeda OS available for the Surface Duo. He’s packaged it as a simple-to-install file that you can use with his flashing tool. While this version is from after the project was canceled and isn’t complete, it offers the best glimpse yet at what the company was developing before abandoning it.

I’ve often written about Microsoft’s plans for Andromeda OS, but now I’m finally getting to try it out on a device with two screens, and it’s unlike anything I’ve seen. Microsoft envisioned Andromeda as a truly portable digital notebook, featuring a home screen designed like a notebook page always ready for quick notes.

As a researcher studying this notebook, I’ve found that the operating system functions as an overlay. I can access familiar features like the Start menu and Cortana by simply swiping in from the edges of the screen. Apps initially launch on the left side, but I can easily move them to the right display. What’s really neat is the automatic multitasking – the system intelligently manages apps, moving them around as needed to optimize the display.

As a tech fan, I’m really excited to see the Start menu with Live Tiles working on the Surface Duo. It’s cool because this was actually Microsoft’s original vision for a dual-screen phone! It feels like having Windows in your pocket, and it’s awesome that it can run modern apps on an OS that was clearly meant to carry on the spirit of Windows Phone. It’s a really unique and forward-thinking approach.

The version of Andromeda OS for the Surface Duo has a lot of problems, largely because the operating system wasn’t fully completed. While one developer is trying to fix things like screen orientation and sleep mode, major stability and user interface issues probably won’t be resolved.

Installing this early version of Andromeda OS on your Surface Duo will erase all of your existing Android data. While you can set it up alongside Android (dual-boot), doing so will also delete your personal files. Be sure to back up anything important before proceeding.

Monce isn’t new to the challenge of getting Windows running on the Surface Duo. He previously led the development efforts to bring both Windows 10 and Windows 11 to the device, and was also the key developer behind Windows 10X, Microsoft’s earlier attempt at a dual-screen version of Windows.

Now that Andromeda OS has been released, we can officially consider the Windows Phone and Surface project a thing of the past. From 2016 to 2018, Microsoft tried to reinvent Windows Phone, but unfortunately, the project never launched.

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2025-12-29 17:41