New Windows 10 Facebook, Instagram apps start rolling out

On April 28, new versions of Facebook, Facebook Messenger and Instagram are rolling out for various Windows 10 flavors.

A new, official Facebook app is rolling out today for Windows 10 PCs and tablets. This app will replace the existing Windows desktop Facebook app. Microsoft officials said a Windows 10 Mobile version of the official Facebook app is coming "soon."

Facebook Messenger is also rolling out today for Windows 10 PCs. The Messenger app features desktop notifications and Live Tile support. Microsoft officials also said the Messenger app would be "coming soon."

A new Instagram app that replaces the current Instagram app that's in beta on Windows 10 Mobile is also rolling out today. "Currently, the Instagram app is only available on Windows 10 Mobile," a Microsoft spokesperson noted when I asked, and wouldn't comment as to whether it will be available at some point for Windows 10 PCs.

Microsoft announced last Fall at its Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book launch that Universal Windows Platform versions of these apps all would be coming to Windows 10. It seems these apps are not technically UWP apps, however. A couple of my reporting colleagues say these are "Osmeta apps," meaning they were built using Facebook's underlying cross-platform technology.

These apps will be populating the Windows 10 Store starting this morning, and may take a while to propagate, Microsoft officials said.