Independent app store GetJar said it has become “the first leading app store to fully leverage social media.” The refreshed store includes Facebook Connect, enabling users to share their app download activity and comments with friends through wall posts and news feeds. Users can also “like” and “dislike” apps, in order to recommend products to their contacts. GetJar said that its recent App Meter survey found that only 21.6 percent of app consumers discover apps in stores, and that it now “sets out to leverage what consumers care about most, the opinions of their friends.”

In addition to its social integration, the GetJar store also has a refreshed design. Its new interface includes navigation tabs for fast browsing, improved search, a “Top Apps” section to identify popular products, and a “Just In” section for the “latest and greatest selection of apps. It also includes a “My Apps” feature, which consolidates the user’s downloaded app history and makes it available for reference.

Ilja Laurs, CEO of GetJar, said: “Now that users can share apps with their friends on Facebook, recommendations are really a bit old school. Our recent research clearly showed us that what consumers care about is what their friends are downloading and using, not what we as an app store think they should download.”