If you’ve ever used Microsoft’s Facebook app for Windows Phone and tried to find out who clicked ‘like’ on one of your status updates or pictures, well, you can be forgiven for getting a little frustrated. The app shows the number of likes but doesn’t let you press to see everyone who clicked.

And don’t even try to set the privacy level when you post an update. The settings simply aren’t there.

Small things, perhaps, but they’re just a couple of the annoyances that have made the Windows Phone Facebook app quirky to use, to put it politely. But an update slated for release later today promises to address those issues and others, while introducing new design elements.

Here’s the list of “focus areas” for version 2.3 of the app.

• News feed performance improvements
• New panorama design.
• New profile design.
• Banner Images.
• Improved navigation.
• Pages
• Groups
• View “likes”
• Feed filters.
• Posting privacy.
• Bug fixing

At 6:40 a.m. Pacific, the update wasn’t yet available on the Windows Phone Marketplace in the U.S. Update, 10 a.m.: The new Version 2.3 is now live in the Windows Phone Marketplace.

More broadly, these are the types of improvements that Microsoft is going to need if it wants to be perceived as operating on a level playing field with Android and iPhone, let alone start taking market share.

Microsoft separately integrates basic Facebook functionality into Windows Phone’s People hub, with the ability to view updates and like or comment on friends’ posts.

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.