Skype 7.0 for Windows Desktop gets Lync video calling, compact view and more

Skype was on a tear this week after updating their Windows Phone app yesterday, appearing Jimmy Kimmel Live last night and now finishing it off with a Windows desktop refresh.

Version 7.0 of Skype for Desktop is now live to download and with it comes a bevy of new features and improvements, including further Lync integration for video calls, building off earlier assimilation of the enterprise service.

Skype 7.0 for Desktop

  • Lync video calling support
  • Users can now scroll, call, and browse using touch! Whether flipping through your chat history or tapping to start a call, it's easier than ever to use Skype with a touch PC.
  • We've listened to your feedback on the redesign we unveiled in October, and as a result, we're now enabling a compact view for those wanting to pack in more contacts and chats on a screen (You can find this update under both "View" as well as Tools>Options>IM Settings). On top of that, we've added a toggle to show unread messages and a more balanced color scheme.

Although Lync compatibility is an enterprise-level feature, we are more excited about that third bullet point, as the current UI design needed some fine tweaking. In addition, we have had some connection and performance issues that, hopefully, get addressed in this update as well.

To download, you can either use the Windows update experience or just re-use the Skype downloader, which will update your current version. To get that latter app, just head here.

Source: Skype Blog

Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.