Microsoft’s Canceled Andromeda OS Lives Again on Surface Duo After Years

Microsoft’s long-lost dual-screen phone vision has quietly come back to life. Here, we’re talking a canceled version of Windows designed specifically for foldable phones. The OS, internally known as Andromeda OS, is now running on the Surface Duo, thanks to a fan-led effort.

Microsoft scrapped Andromeda seven years back. For the uninitiated, it was designed for dua-screen devices. Unfortunately for Andromeda, the Surface Duo launched with Android instead. That was it, Andromeda faded into history. But, it has now come to life from graves, thanks to developer Gustave Monce, who according to Windows Central, has successfully ported a leaked build of Andromeda OS onto the original Surface Duo. The build, which surfaced recently, dates from after the project was canceled.

No wonder, it’s not there yet in terms of usabiloty, but it it definitely offers the clearest look yet at what Microsoft was working on behind closed doors. Andromeda reportedly look and feel very different from traditional Windows. The home screen doubles as a digital notebook. Meaning, it is always ready for notes and pen input.

You can swipe from either side of the system to make Start Menu and Cortana pop up. Multitasking is at the center of Andromeda. You can simoly open one app on a single screen, but can be dragged across, with the system handling multitasking automatically.

You can also see Live Tiles spread across a dual-screen Surface Duo feels like a glimpse into an alternate timeline. This was meant to be Windows in your pocket, built around productivity, inking, and modern UWP apps. As mentioned earlier, the experience isn’t polished, as the OS is buggy, with broken features like sleep behavior and posture detection.

Monce has acknowledged the issues and says only limited fixes are possible due to the OS never being completed. Installing Andromeda isn’t for the faint of heart either. Flashing the OS wipes Android data, though advanced users can set up a dual-boot configuration.

With Andromeda now running in the wild, Microsoft’s abandoned dual-screen phone dream finally has a form people can touch, even if it arrived years too late.

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