The LinkedIn app for Windows phone has received an update, but it's a pretty mixed bag, to say the least. The update does indeed make the app look better than before, but it seems to be simply a web wrapper.

The new look is essentially what you get if you visit LinkedIn mobile site in your browser. Humorously, this being a wrapper for the mobile site means that users still see a banner advertising a faster mobile app. While the look and performance are arguably much better than the app's previous state, it's still liable to upset anyone hoping for a true native Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app.

But here's the kicker: all of this applies only if you're able to actually get the app. The LinkedIn app was actually removed from the Windows Store earlier this week and has yet to reappear. Basically, that makes this update available to only those who still have the LinkedIn app installed. We were alerted to the update from numerous tips, but haven't been able to find it in the Store for ourselves.

At the very least, it's a curious move given that Microsoft now owns LinkedIn following its 2016 acquisition. It also comes several months after Microsoft mistakenly stated the LinkedIn app for Windows Phone would be retired in an email to users. The company later walked that back, stating "older version of the LinkedIn app on your Windows phone will continue to work normally." This update doesn't betray those words, but it is likely to ruffle some feathers even if it's just a stopgap.

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