During its Windows 10 devices reveal in early October of 2015, Microsoft off-handily mentioned that new social media apps designed specifically for Windows 10 would appear in the Windows Store soon. At the time, Microsoft suggested a new Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram app tailored for Windows 10 and using the Universal Windows Platform API’s would (at some point) be made available.
Now, five months later, only a handful of early access users are testing the Windows 10 Facebook app in beta on both PCs and mobile devices, Instagram Beta (W10M version) leaked onto the Windows 10 Mobile handsets and until recently, talks of a Facebook Messenger for Windows 10 were non-existent.
Today, however, leaked images captured by WindowsBlogItalia give us our first glimpse of what a Facebook Messenger app on Windows 10 might look like. According to the site’s description, the app will contain the following features:
- Get notifications so you never miss a message
- See when you have messages waiting for you with a live tile
- Send photos, videos, GIFs and more
- Bring your conversations to life with stickers
- Know when people have seen your messages
- Create groups for the people you message most—name them and set group photos
- Forward messages or photos to people who weren’t in the conversation
- Search for people and groups to quickly get back to them
The layout of the app based on the leaked images are in line with both Microsoft’s Windows 10 app design as well as what Facebook is doing with its main app for Windows 10 in its beta development. As to when users will get a chance to try out the app remains a mystery–there have been no open calls or emails for a beta sign up, but many are speculating that Microsoft’s upcoming developer conference could be a great stage to showcase finally the movement Windows 10 is making in courting big name development.
