Twitter releases its handcrafted Windows 8 app

After announcing an upcoming native Windows 8 app months ago, the social network finally delivers with the usual Twitter features and a few unique add-ons.

by Dara Kerr

March 13, 2013 7:35 PM PDT Follow @darakerr

Twitter launches its Windows 8 app.

(Credit: Twitter)

The Twitter for Windows 8 app has finally hit Microsoft's Windows Store. The social network announced today that it was launching the new app, which was uniquely tailored for Windows 8 devices.

Besides the usual Home, Connect, Discover, and Me tabs, the Windows 8 app has a host of other features. There's Snap view, which lets users adjust the size of the Twitter app and use other apps alongside it. Photos can also be expanded or shown in a photo gallery. There are two new charms -- Share and Search -- which let users tweet or search from any app. And, finally, there are Twitter Live Tiles and notifications that are on-view no matter which app is running.

"Twitter for Windows 8 brings you all the design, features and functionality of Twitter combined with the fast and fluid technology of Windows 8," Twitter says in its app description.

Despite having apps for most major platforms, Twitter has never been on Windows for PC. The microblogging site announced it was working on a native Windows 8 app back in October but has been mum on the project ever since. Over the past year, Twitter has been making a push to create a consistent experience across as many platforms as possible, be it the Web, iOS, Android, OS X, BlackBerry, and even the Windows Phone.