Facebook Home beta apps leak, can be installed on Nexus 4 and 7 (update)

MoDaCo has just leaked a pre-release version of Facebook Home. Set for launch on April 12th, Facebook’s new launcher will initially only be compatible with five handsets, but MoDaCo says this pre-release version works on a wide range of devices including Google’s Nexus 4 phone and Nexus 7 tablet.

There are a few caveats: Facebook’s new “Chat Heads” feature isn’t working, and the maximum supported resolution is 1280 x 768. It’s also a little difficult to get up and running in the first place, although it doesn’t require any major trickery aside from enabling “install from unknown sources” in Android’s settings menu. As the beta apps don’t require root, risks to your phone should be minimal, but being pre-release software don’t expect the most stable experience. If you’re interested to try Facebook Home out for yourself, head on over to MoDaCo for full installation instructions. If you’d rather wait until Friday for the official release, you can pass the time by watching our video preview.

Update: It looks like the Facebook Home fun is over for now. We’re hearing reports that the leaked apps have now stopped working, and are unable to see anything but a black screen on our test device. MoDaCo founder Paul O’Brien speculates that Facebook has cut off the apps’ access to its servers.