The Hike team behind the popular messaging client for Windows Phone has released a substantial update, completely revamping the user experience with a new interface and features to boot. The app itself boasts improved privacy options and solid messaging functionality (which is a bonus considering this is the app's main selling point), but the best part about Hike is that it's absolutely free.

As noted above, the team hasn't just bumped the app (to version 2.6) with a fresh new design. There are a few new implementations we're sure frequent users will enjoy. Here's a full list of changes from the store listing:

Not only do we have the above list making its way into the app, but the development team have also included "many bug fixes, performance and stability enhancements". It's definitely worth checking out, especially if you're in the India region since there's free SMS and other perks available.

Thanks to everyone who tipped us!