Facebook launches app hub

Finding apps on Facebook is about to get a whole lot easier, with the launch of the Facebook App Centre.

First announced a month ago, the App Centre is a hub to help users on desktops and mobile devices find apps more easily.

Over 600 specially selected apps are currently on offer; users can browse apps by category, find apps through friends, or receive personalised recommendations.

Whenever a user chooses to download an app, the App Centre will direct them to the appropriate install page, whether that's a company website or a page in the Apple app store or on Google Play (no word on other platforms yet).

The App Centre will be accessible both via Facebook's website and its own mobile apps. If a desktop user comes across a mobile app they want to download, they can click 'send to mobile' to have a download link sent to their device via text message.

One of the biggest challenges facing Facebook ahead of its IPO last month was how to make more money from mobile users, who are hard to target with advertisements because of smaller screen sizes.

The App Centre could be one solution to the problem, helping to create a snowball effect among social app users.

A post on the Facebook developer blog says the App Centre is rolling out in the US today and around the world in coming weeks, although it appears to be up and running already in New Zealand - go here to check it out.