Instagram’s PWA comes to Microsoft Store with direct messaging

We first caught wind that Instagram was set to bring its progressive web app (PWA) to the Microsoft Store in December, and now it’s here. The latest update to the Instagram app for Windows 10 brings the PWA to PCs, which brings a couple of benefits. It also adds support for direct messages, which Instagram first announced were coming to desktop in January.

As a PWA, the app feels very much like using the website, but in a shell that feels like a native Windows 10 app. The move also means that new features and updates should make it to desktop PCs faster, as any change Instagram makes on the web should propogate to the PWA without much fuss. We’ve seen this in action with the Twitter app, which has seen frequent updates since it made the move to become a PWA in 2018.

If you’re using a Windows 10 on ARM device, like the Surface Pro X, it’s likely you’ll notice better performance out of the Instagram app as well.

Lastly, the arrival of direct messages on desktop means you’ll no longer have to switch over to your phone to respond to or send messages. Curiously, this feature still isn’t live on the website if you visit in in a browser. Still, it’s an important update that should make using Instagram at your PC a little more pleasant.

You can grab this update now on the Microsoft Store with Instagram version 42.0.2.0.

Thanks to Jean Blanc for the tip!