Twitter on Wednesday finally released a native app for Windows 8 and RT, the micro-blogging service announced.

Now available for download(Opens in a new window) in the Windows Store, the app boasts familiar Twitter features like the Home, Connect, Discover, and Me tabs alongside some new functionality that takes advantage of the Windows 8 platform, Twitter said. For starters, there’s a feature called snap view, which lets you use another app alongside Twitter.

“You’ll be able to keep up with the conversations that are happening on Twitter while you watch a streaming video or read a news story,” Mike Kruzeniski, Twitter’s design lead for the app, said in a blog post(Opens in a new window).

Photos are displayed prominently inside the app, and there’s a new landscape view for a larger version of individual photos. You can also tap an image to view it in full screen and swipe horizontally to shuffle between photos.

The app should also make sharing and searching a breeze. When you want to share content with your followers or search for something, simply swipe from the right edge of the device and then choose either the share or search charm.

“For example — last night I stumbled upon a new Blu-ray movie I wanted to pre-order from Amazon and right from the Amazon app I was able to swipe from the right edge choose the Share charm to share it to my followers on Twitter!” Microsoft’s communications manager ,Brandon LeBlanc, wrote in a separate blog post(Opens in a new window) Thursday.

You can also keep up with what’s happening in your social network using the Twitter Live Tile and notifications. The Live Tile lets you see who has replied to you on Twitter right from the start screen.

The app is available in 22 languages, Twitter said. For more, check out the video below. Also see PCMag’s roundup of The 20 Best Windows 8 Apps.