Snapchat finally comes to Microsoft Store

(Image Courtesy: Snapchat)

After years of staying away from the Windows app ecosystem, Snapchat is now finally available on the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 and 11.

Based on the web version of Snapchat, which was rolled out a few months ago, Snapchat for Windows is a Progressive Web App (PWA) that requires Microsoft's Edge Browser to run. The app is identical to the web version of Snapchat with no obvious changes or advantages.

Since its essentially a web app, the install size is small at 1.4 MB and will always remain up to date as changes are pushed to Snapchat web.

Windows will also treat the PWA as a native app, which means you can pin it to the start menu, and receive notification alerts. You can try it out by downloading it here.

Snapchat ruffled a lot of feathers by refusing to support Windows Phone or Windows as a platform. This olive branch can be considered mea culpa, though it is just a web app with nothing special to offer.

A few months ago, Snapchat also launched the in-app Family Center and parental controls in India. The controls allow parents to see who their kids talk to online and view contacts that the children have messaged in the last week.