Windows Phone 8 brought the all-important lockscreen notifications to 3rd-party developers. This feature is perfect for communication apps such as Google Voice clients, Skype, WhatsApp, and instant messengers. Everyone seems to have embraced the feature, but for some reason IM apps have not.

There are several great IM apps in the Store. As a Google Talk user my personal favorite is Talk.to. Today Talk.to has become the first free IM app with lockscreen notifications. This feature seems like such a no-brainer for IM apps. In the phone settings you can now choose Talk.to as one of the five notification spots on the lockscreen. It’s such a simple addition to the app, but it will make a huge difference.

Also new in the Talk.to update is the ability to draw doodles and send them to your friends. Just select “draw doodle” and let your creativity run wild. Talk.to is easily one of the best IM apps available if you use Google Talk. Download it today for free on Windows Phone 8 and 7 devices.