Skype's real-time translations now available to all Windows users

By John Callaham
last updated

All Windows PC owners who use the Skype messaging app should have full access to its text and voice translation features. Microsoft has announced it has completed the rollout of Skype Translator to those users. It first started the rollout in October.

Microsoft has also revealed some interesting facts about how Skype's translation features have been used so far:

  • French to English is the most popular language pair
  • The number of calls per day has increased 400% since launch
  • The most international Skype Translator calling corridor is Germany to Ghana

Microsoft added that the Skype team continues working to add more languages to the translator features, along with adding them to more Skype platforms and clients.

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Source: Microsoft (opens in new tab)

John Callaham
John Callaham
30 Comments
  • It's funny how their ****** windows 10 version of skype isn't even getting this. Why did they even make that then?
  • Calm down, it's not available on iOS or Android either.
  • :D
  • He isn't talking about Mobile. It's not avaiable on Windows 10's messaging+skype app aka the modern/metro app.
  • aka the "Universal app"
  • Isn't the modern/metro app just referred to as the messaging app though? I thought the modern/metro app of Skype was dropped, so the desktop version is the only 'official' version for Windows.
  • Links don't work in the 'View links' section. Fix please. External links work but WC ones don't.
  • A new app will be released soon..
    Yeah...'W10M release' kinda 'soon' :p
  • Shut up
  • I still waiting for a mobile / continuum version either.
  • There is no Windows 10 version of Skype yet!  Remember they said the current Skype app is discontinued but functional, the Messaging app is just for basic messaging/calling, and the new universal Windows 10 Skype app is coming later, which will most likely have this and all the other Skype features.  Chill.
  • There will be no official skype app for windows 10 that is different to the integrated skype for video and messaging apps that come with the windows 10 installer on mobile and desktop. and those two apps are a joke really 
  • I'm impressed, 400% increase in usage? Wow!
  • "all Windows users" not equal to "All Windows PC owners" What about mobile?
  • it's even in Microsoft's official Skype blog release "all Skype for Windows customers".
    it seems that not even MS considers W10 mobile users as real windows customers any more. thanks Nadella.
  • In the mean time I adding a picture to a group conversation is impossible because neither adding attachments nor groupchats work on windows 10 mobile apps ^^ 
  • Hopefully they will integrate this capability into Skype for Business.  I know a few colleagues iin France and Germany I'd like to talk to.
  • +1  Also, I actually hope they merge the two apps into one.  No point in having multiple Skype instances running when they can just build multi-account support into the app itself.
  • Well with our luck they will merge skype for business into the casual version and get rid of allthe remaining good features we used to have like desktop sharing and filesharing incl presentation mode and remote control 
  • Yup. What any reasonable company would do is look at all the great features in Lync and say, "Let's port Skype to Lync and give it all those great features!  Then, let's get it working really well as a universal app and push it to our mobile users, too!" What MS will do is say, "Let's rewrite both Skype and Lync into a single, universal app with no extra features and, as a bonus, which only barely works at all!  Then let's push it to our mobile users, too.  Of course, only after we release great versions for the iPhone.  Yeah, that's the ticket!"
  • Well Skype for business 2016 chat provides already a "translate" function 
  • Yes chat only which I have yet to use effectively but I can see my French colleauges might when it gets pushed out of the insider ring, what I really want is the more effective instant translation on video calls. I am not going to even mention group video but that obviously would be awesome.
  • 'Germany to Ghana' kinda confuse me. :S Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Really why is that Ghana is a country just like Germany is.
  • What about skype for business? I would love to see it there as well.
  • Anybody know if it will work better than the Windows translator app? I try using to translate things in Russian and it always comes up with the wrong word. I go back to Google Translate because it is MUCH better. Not perfect, but much more reliable.
  • Ghana
  • Why Microsoft dont make Skype a Universal app? Current skype sucks on my surface pro 3 everytime i want to use it have to go to desktop mode. *sorry for my poor English*
  • This is good news! I've been learning Russian and английский по skype at Preply.com ( http://preply.com/en/russian-by-skype ) and I think this translator feature will help me learn better. I can play around with this with my friends. :)
  • Does it work on Skype for Bussiness?