Earlier this year, Microsoft confirmed that it was preparing to retire Skype. The messaging and calling app has existed since 2003, but Microsoft acquired the platform 14 years ago.

Today, on May 5, Microsoft is pulling the plug on Skype as it officially retires the app. While speaking to TechCrunch, Jeff Teper, president of Microsoft 365 collaborative Apps and platforms, indicated:

“We know this is a big deal for our Skype users, and we’re very grateful for their support of Skype and all the learnings that have factored into Teams over the last seven years. At this point, putting all our focus behind Teams will let us give a simpler message and drive faster innovation.”

As expected, Microsoft has been doubling its efforts on Teams and urging users to transition. Additionally, the company allowed users to export their Skype chats to Teams to make the transition more seamless.

While it remains unclear exactly how many people will be impacted by Skype shutting down, Microsoft's data from 2023 shows that the platform had over 36 million users. In comparison, Microsoft Teams surpassed 320 million active monthly users worldwide around the same time.

This move could be a bid by the tech giant to drive more users to Microsoft Teams and increase its user base. As you may know, Microsoft launched a new app for Teams, which is twice as fast and consumes 50% less disk space than the previous build.

To that end, it's unclear whether users will be eager to transition to Teams, especially in the new era of communication and the vast availability of messaging and video calling platforms like Zoom, WhatsApp, and countless more.

Mobile World Congress ran throughout last week, giving us another glimpse of what's on the way for consumer tech. Lenovo unveiled a solar powered concept PC and a concept laptop with an 18.1-inch foldable display.

We also saw devices that will actually hit store shelves, such as the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition.

Outside of Mobile World Congress, Microsoft blocked its Copilot AI assistant from helping people pirate Windows 11. Copilot also got a non-pirate related update on Windows 11 and macOS.

Microsoft blocks (some) Windows 11 pirates

Pirating Windows 11 just got incrementally more difficult. Earlier this month, it was discovered that Microsoft Copilot would share advice on how to activate Windows 11 without a license.

Now, if you ask the AI assistant about activating Windows, Copilot will ask if you would like to talk about something else.

"Want to talk about something else? I'm not able to discuss that topic, but I'm always happy to chat about other things! What else is on your mind?" said Copilot to me when I asked about activating Windows 11.

When pushed on the topic, Copilot said the following:

"Unfortunately, I can't assist with bypassing licensing requirements for Windows 11. Using unlicensed software can have significant risks, including security vulnerabilities and lack of support from Microsoft.

However, there are legitimate ways to acquire a Windows 11 license. Sometimes there are discounts or programs that can help, especially for seniors, students, or through certain promotions. If budget is a concern, there are also free operating systems like Linux that could be an alternative. If you'd like, I can help you explore some of these options!"

Pirating Windows has never been difficult. Copilot helping people pirate Windows 11 was only newsworthy due to irony.

Lenovo concept PCs

Lenovo is the torchbearer when it comes to innovative devices these days. Plenty of PC makers try new things, but Lenovo is likely the boldest when it comes to new form factors.

On that note, Lenovo unveiled the ThinkBook "codename Flip" at Mobile World Congress (MWC). That device has an 18.1-inch foldable display. That screen can flip around for sharing or stand tall.

The resulting vertical screen makes the ThinkBook Flip rather top heavy. It is a concept device, so Lenovo will have to play around with the exact shape and weight distribution before shipping a device with a similar display.

Another concept device, the Lenovo Yoga Solar PC, has solar panels in its lid. Those panels use back contact cell technology that improves efficiency.

Lenovo claims the Yoga Solar PC can get one hour of playback after 20 minutes of charging in the sun.

I also think the solar panels look pretty cool, but I suppose that's subjective.

Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition

Lenovo announced more than concept devices at Mobile World Congress. The PC maker also unveiled its Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition (Gen 10).

That laptop is powered by up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H and up to an NVIDIA RTX 5070 laptop GPU.

Those specs should be enough for heavy duty creative work. The Aura Edition branding indicates the PC meets standards for software, hardware, and AI features.

The latest Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition has a 16-inch screen that reaches up to 1,600 nits. That screen has a double layer of OLED pixels and is possibly the brightest laptop screen available.

Our Cale Hunt stays on top of the best laptops with bright screens and has not found a brighter laptop display than that of the Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition.

Copilot app update

Microsoft previewed a new Copilot app this week on Windows 11. The app is built using Microsoft's native app UI framework, which is great news.

When Microsoft launched its new dedicated Copilot app for Windows last year, many were disappointed to find out it was just the Copilot web view in a wrapper.

The new new Copilot app that is in preview is a native app with a better interface. It also launches quicker and performs better than its predecessor.

Microsoft launched its new Copilot app for Mac slightly before the Windows version entered preview.

Windows Central Podcast

Our Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden talk tech each week during the Windows Central Podcast. In the most recent episode, they discuss the death of Skype, Lenovo's intriguing devices from Mobile World Congress, and updates to Microsoft's Copilot apps.

You can tune into the Windows Central Podcast each week on YouTube or catch up through your favorite podcast platform.

• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Apple Podcasts
• Listen on Pocket Casts
• Subscribe via RSS

Reviews

We here at Windows Central love going hands-on with the latest tech. This week, our team looked at the lightest and longest lasting AI PC, a 4K Thunderbolt hub monitor, and a practically flawless monitor arm.

• ASUS Zenbook A14 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
• MSI MAG MT201D monitor arm ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Split Fiction ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
• VITURE Pro XR Glasses ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
• Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Deals of the Week

Our experts scour the web for the best deals — because who likes paying full price for things? The best gaming and laptop deals include discounts on WWE 2K25 Deadman Edition, the ASUS VivoBook S 15, and the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard.

Skype is being killed by Microsoft. A hidden string in the latest preview build of Skype states that "Skype will no longer be available" starting in May and points people to Teams.

Microsoft confirmed the end of Skype, meaning have a couple more months to use the platform, assuming anyone still relies on it.

The death of Skype has been coming for years. Microsoft shifted its priorities to Teams years ago and Skype has dwindled in usage steadily for a variety of reasons.

I underestimated how much nostalgia I have for Skype. Going through photos and stories for this post was quite emotional.

My wife, Leah, and I have been together for almost 12 years. Most of the first year of our relationship was long distance, and Skype was our main method of talking.

For the record, I'm sad that Skype is going away. My marriage is great. I confess the headline is purposefully ambiguous.

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Skype. I know there were other platforms my wife and I could have used, but the reality is that we did use Skype.

For the better part of a year, each time I heard the famous Skype ring, I knew Leah was on the other end of the phone.

Skype dates

My wife and I dated long distance for the majority of the first year of our relationship. Since I was on the east coast of the United States and Leah was in the UK, there was a sizeable time difference.

But we made a schedule that worked. I would stay up to chat with Leah after she got off work and she would call me before university. We also set aside time for Skype dates.

This was back before the days of watch parties on Netflix or simple synchronized streaming. I would take a webcam and point it at the TV so Leah and I could watch the movie "side by side."

Occasionally, I would playfully put on a puppet show, as shown above. The Prince of Egypt and Pokémon are among my favorite things, so it's only natural for both to appear during a date.

Skype was an easy choice when we decided to stay in touch. Between the two of us, we used devices running at least three different operating systems, which limited our options. Skype was free and available on our phones and computers.

Over the years, Skype remained our app of choice. The first time I met my wife's parents and siblings was over Skype.

I remember the first time I got a Kinect camera for the Xbox One and how excited I was to chat with a room of people. Smartphone cameras had narrow fields of view back then, so group conversations were difficult.

When I moved to the UK, Skype was still the easiest way to talk with my parents. But over time we shifted to WhatsApp and other platforms.

My wife has a large family, which made the pandemic especially difficult. We had many Zoom calls during that time. I remember joking at the time about how we had moved to Zoom rather than use Skype.

But Zoom was easy to use because you could just share a link and connect. By the time Microsoft added similar functionality to Skype, we had already switched.

What happened to Skype?

Microsoft purchased Skype in 2013 for more than $8.5 billion. At the time, that was the largest purchase in Microsoft history.

Back then, Skype was an immensely popular platform for video calls and other forms of communication.

Microsoft said that Skype was "here to stay" back in 2021, but plans change. Between that statement being made and now, we've seen a global pandemic wrap up, people migrate to Zoom, WhatsApp, and other platforms en masse, and Microsoft shift its efforts to Microsoft Teams.

The mismanagement of Skype should be studied in business schools. The platform had over 330 million users at one point. The world then shifted to a point where people are in constant communication with each other and video calls are ubiquitous.

So, how did a platform with a massive global reach lose users when demand for its primary feature goes up? There were several factors:

1. Microsoft was slow to modernize Skype.
2. The desktop Skype app was remade several times but was never as good as it should have been.
3. Skype did not work well on phones and lost users to more reliable platforms.
4. Competing apps were quick to fill the void, such as Zoom becoming a dominant platform during the pandemic.
5. Microsoft prioritised Teams over Skype.

There were other reasons Skype failed. You could teach entire classes on how Microsoft took the platform and ran it into the ground.

To be honest, I'm not sure Microsoft mourns the death of Skype. Teams has hundreds of millions of users, and most importantly, Teams has a path to monetization.

Skype for Business was common in enterprise environments, but Teams is on a whole other level. I don't remember Microsoft and Slack feuding over Skype for Business the way they war over Teams vs. Slack.

In a move that will likely surprise no one, it appears Microsoft is gearing up to shut down Skype in the coming months. Spotted by XDA Developers, the latest Skype for Windows preview reportedly includes a hidden string that reads "Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams." No other details are provided, but it certainly sounds like Skype's days are numbered.

Skype first launched in 2003 and was a very popular VOIP messaging platform in its heyday. Microsoft would later acquire Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion, and in the years since has attempted to integrate it across many products, including Windows, Windows Phone, and even Xbox.

The company has updated and redesigned Skype a number of times in the last decade, including splitting the app up in an attempt to integrate the service into Windows 10 Mobile's Phone and Messaging apps to position it as a viable iMessage competitor.

In the last handful of years, Skype has been seriously neglected. Microsoft failed to position Skype as a viable option during the pandemic, and the service has largely fallen by the wayside in the eyes of consumers. Most people have moved to more modern platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, iMessage, and Discord.

Microsoft did use Skype as a backbone to build out its popular Teams service for enterprise customers, but the experiences between the Teams and Skype apps are very different. Interestingly, it looks like Microsoft will encourage the remaining Skype users to switch to Teams, though this is likely referring to Teams for Consumers.

Skype's shut down has been a long time coming

Skype in its current form is a sorry excuse for a messaging platform. It's a web-based app on Windows, which is very slow and does a terrible job at syncing conversations and notifications across devices. The app also doesn't even support Windows on Arm, which is something Microsoft has been pushing to adopt over the last half a decade.

In the last few years, Microsoft has tried to revive Skype with experiments such as Skype Clips, which let users send short video messages to each other without calling them. In 2024, it also gained access to Copilot, self messaging, and a revamped mobile experience designed to compete with rival platforms.

Nothing seems to have worked, as the service still hasn't seemed to have gained much traction. The last time Skype received a notable update was in May 2024. Microsoft recently shuttered its Skype Number service, which let you buy a real phone number that could be used to call other phone numbers not on the Skype service.

Microsoft has now confirmed that Skype will indeed shut down on May 5, 2025. That means there's just over two months for Skype users to begin the migration to Microsoft Teams.

What are your thoughts on Microsoft killing Skype? Are you an active Skype user? Let us know in the comments below!

Skype Credit cannot be purchased anymore, pushing people still on the platform to have to pay for a subscription to use certain features. Skype Credit can be used to make calls to mobile phones or landlines and to send SMS messages. You could also use Skype Credit to purchase a Skype Number, but Microsoft ended the option to purchase a Skype Number recently.

"Skype Credit is no longer available," reads the banner at the top of Skype's webpage about credits. "For new purchases, check out the monthly subscriptions or make a free Skype call to anyone anytime"

Skype is not as popular as it once was, but it is still used by millions of people. Microsoft has not shared specifics on how many of those users rely on Skype Credit, but it seems safe to assume the company expects those affected will find a monthly subscription as a suitable replacement.

What is Skype Credit?

Skype Credit is a way to pay for features available in Skype that are not free, such as making calls to mobile devices and landlines. Skype Credit can also be used to send SMS messages and purchase a Skype Number, though the latter of those is no longer available.

Can I use Skype without Skype Credit?

Skype calling will still be available even though Skype Credit is no longer available for purchase. To use the feature, you'll need to a have a Skype monthly calling subscription. Those plans vary in price depending on where you want to call. For example, calling in the United States costs $3.59 per month, while calling in India costs $9.59 per month.

It's unclear if the change to Skype Credit affects SMS messaging through Skype. A support document about Skype Credit explains that the credits can be used to send SMS text messages.

At the moment, the Skype Credit webpage does not mention SMS functionality. There's a chance that the webpage will add more details, as the change appears to have happened quickly. When TechCrunch broke the news about Skype Credit no longer being available for purchase, the Skype website did not mention the change. Some parts of the Skype website still refer to Skype Credit as if credits can still be purchased.

It has been confirmed, however, that Skype Numbers are no longer available for purchase. A Microsoft spokesperson referenced the company “continuously evaluate(s) product strategy based on customer usage and needs" in a statement to TechCrunch.

Skype Numbers that have already been purchased will continue to work and purchased Skype Credit will keep working as long as some credit is used at least once in any 180-day period. Skype is a versatile app that allows communication through the web. In fact, that's the primary method of communication for millions of Skype users. Messaging, making voice calls, and having video calls are all unaffected by the fact that Skype Credit is no longer available for purchase.

What you need to know

• Skype Insiders can install a new update that improves reliability and performance across various platforms.
• While not as popular as it was a few years ago, Skype is used by millions of people each month.
• Microsoft removed all ads from Skype recently.

Earlier this year, Microsoft removed all ads from Skype. The communication platform isn't as popular as it used to be, but millions of people still rely on it for chats, calls, and video calls. Now, Microsoft has a new batch of improvements for Skype on the way, though none of them are as monumental as the removal of ads. Skype version 8.127.76.102 is now in testing among Insiders, and it improves stability and removes bugs.

In addition to fixing issues on the iPad and changing what appears within Copilot chat on iOS, the update improves performance and reliability on mobile devices. Overall, the update is small, but it serves as a chance to ask about Skype, which I find to be a fascinating app. I've listed all the changes outlined by Microsoft near the end of this piece.

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Do you still use Skype?

The rise and fall of Skype could inspire books. Microsoft spent $8.5 billion on the acquisition of Skype and then systematically drove the app into the ground. App redesigns, a change of priorities, an initial infrastructure based on peer-to-peer communication, and competitors making better alternatives all contributed to Skype dropping in popularity. Zoom became a verb, WhatsApp gained voice and video calls, and several other apps began to deliver a better experience than Skype.

As highlighted by a James Corden sketch, Skype lost to Zoom during the pandemic in terms of public perception. Microsoft Teams also became the priority for Microsoft, which was ultimately successful. Teams is doing well, has hundreds of millions of users, and perhaps most importantly for Microsoft, Teams has a clear path to monetization.

Skype is still around, of course. While Microsoft's communication app isn't ubiquitous when it comes to casual chatting, it's still used by millions of people. My questions are how many of you use Skype and which other communication apps do you use regularly?

In the poll above, you can pick all of the apps you use in your personal life and then rank them. If you use a different app or service, please let us know in the comments below!

What's new in Skype?

• Performance and Reliability Improvements to our database system: Designed to reduce the load on your mobile device's CPU, to make your Skype experience smoother and more reliable.
• Resolved permission issue on iPad: The audio/video permissions message will now reappear correctly after turning off permissions, ensuring seamless call setup. 🎤📹
• Fixed button alignment in the Calls tab on Mac: The call options button now maintains a uniform position when the hover effect is active, improving usability. 🖥️🎯
• Eliminated large spaces between contacts in compact mode on Mobile: Contacts are now displayed consistently, making navigation more efficient. 📱👥
• Removed call option visibility from the Copilot chat on iOS: The call option is no longer visible when swiping left in the Copilot chat, ensuring expected behavior. 📞🚫
• Corrected market selection for channel mute/unmute actions: When following/unfollowing a channel, the correct market is now consistently applied, preventing errors that previously occurred when muting or unmuting channels from a different market. 🌍🔇

What you need to know

• Microsoft is bringing an ad-free experience to Skype.
• The new update also brings OneAuth integration to Skype for iOS and revamps the AI image creator experience on Skype Desktop.
•  The update also ships with a couple of fixes, including a fix for a bug that prevented users from sending media while connected to a 5G network.

Remember Skype? Microsoft is about to make the platform awesome again by scrapping ads (what most might consider the most hated feature across the ecosystem) from its entire interface.

According to Microsoft's Skype product manager Irene Namuganyi:

"Our latest update removes all ads from Skype channels and the entire Skype platform, ensuring a smoother, decluttered, and more enjoyable user experience."

Users will now enjoy an ad-free experience while interacting with the app across all platforms. Microsoft indicated that the change was influenced by user feedback. It wants to provide them with a new experience that allows them to "focus on your chats without any ad distractions, making your Skype experience cleaner and more user-friendly."

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More changes for AI in Skype

Aside from bringing an ad-free experience to Skype, Microsoft is also rolling out notable changes to the app's dedicated AI Image Creation tool, including streamlined access directly from the chat window or the top bar and a revamped user interface.

The new update also brings OneAuth integration in Skype for iOS. It will allow users to sign in automatically to Skype if they are already signed into another Microsoft app like Teams. 

Lastly, the update also ships with a few fixes for known issues, as highlighted below:

• Fixed an issue where some users could not send media when connected to a 5G network.
• Fixed the bug where users could hear the ringtone but were unable to pick up the call on iOS.

As you may know, Microsoft rolls out these updates in waves. It's possible that not all Skype Insiders can test new features and bug fixes immediately. 

Microsoft has faced backlash for incorporating ads across its Windows 11 operating system with the most recent campaign featuring full-screen multipage popup ads pressuring Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 before its imminent end of support.

What you need to know

• Skype Insiders have a new update to install that includes a handful of new features.
• Many of the improvements on the way to Skype center around PDFs.
• Microsoft also made it easier to share GIFs and other enhanced media through Skype.

Microsoft rolled out an update for Skype Insiders to wrap up January. The update includes several PDF features, makes it easier to share enhanced media such as GIFs, and adds options for customizing your video preview.

The update also comes with the usual spread of bug fixes and general improvements. Skype Insiders will receive the update gradually, so you may not see changes just yet. When you do receive the update, it will bring Skype Preview to version 8.112.76.203.

Why does Microsoft update Skype?

Many of my articles about Skype updates or preview updates draw some giggles. I understand the humor in Microsoft keeping Skype up to date and working on new features. The company systematically drove Skype into the ground for over a decade, rebranded it and redesigned it at the drop of a hat, and ultimately left it for the most part in favor of Teams.

Microsoft Teams has over 320 million users and is commonly used in education and in professional environments. I'd argue that Microsoft doesn't care that Skype lost the general user space to Zoom and other communication apps. Education and enterprise are where the money is.

• Related: From MSN Messenger to Teams: Look back at Microsoft's messaging failures and successes

With Teams receiving so much love and attention, why does Microsoft work on new features for Skype? I suppose it could simply be to deliver the best experience for the hundreds of millions of people who still have Skype accounts, but I think there's more to it than that. Microsoft can use Skype as a playground to work on design changes and features that it later rolls out to Teams.

I imagine that PDFs are more important in Microsoft Teams than in Skype. The recent Skype Insider update includes a ton of PDF-focused features. Microsoft can test these out on a large scale, receive user feedback, and then use that data to shape the future of Teams, all while not changing Teams before having loads of feedback.

The above is just my theory, of course, but Microsoft would be silly to not use information gathered from millions of live users to improve its new prized pony Microsoft Teams.

Skype Insider Release Notes

Introducing PDF Thumbnail Previews in Skype! 📄✨

Skype's latest update enriches your chat with the introduction of PDF thumbnail previews on all platforms. Now, you can get a glimpse of your document before you dive in!

• 👀 Quick Preview: No need to open to know. Get a sneak peek at the first page of PDFs directly in your chat stream, especially when you have auto-download enabled.
• 📚 Efficient Workflow: Identify and differentiate your documents at a glance, streamlining your conversation and collaboration.
• 🔍 Clarity in Context: PDF previews provide a visual reference point within your chat, keeping you in sync with the discussion.
• 🔄 Seamless Sharing: Sharing PDFs is as easy as ever, but now with the added context of a thumbnail, your chats are more informative and engaging.
• 🛠️ A Heads-Up: Spotting a quirky preview? A fix is already in the works and will be polished to perfection in our next update!

Get ready for a smoother, more visual Skype experience where PDFs are no longer just an icon, but a clear, identifiable part of your conversation! 🌐💼

Supercharge Your Chats with Skype's Enhanced Media Composer on Android! 🎨📲

Elevate your messaging game on Skype for Android with our latest update that introduces native rich content features in the message composer!

• 🎉 Instant GIF/Sticker Fun: No more tedious media sharing dialogues—now, add GIFs and stickers to your chats directly from your keyboard with a single tap!
• 📋 Effortless Media Copy/Paste: Seamlessly copy and paste images and videos right into the composer. Perfect for quickly sharing content from the web.
• 🖖 Drag & Drop Delight: Enjoy a desktop-like experience on your device by dragging and dropping media into the composer, ideal for multitaskers and power users on tablets and foldables.

Get ready to make your chats more vibrant and fun with Skype's Android update—where sharing your favorite moments is instant and intuitive! 🌈✨

Personalize Your Skype Calls with Adjustable Video Preview! 📲🎥

Customize your one-on-one Skype call screen like never before! Our latest update introduces flexible video preview controls for mobile users, ensuring your calls are just the way you like them.

• 📍 Drag & Drop Positioning: Effortlessly move your video preview to any corner of the call screen.
• 📐 Pinch-to-Zoom: Get up close and personal by scaling your video preview with a simple pinch.
• 💾 Auto-Remember: Skype now remembers your preferred video position for your next call.
• 🔄 Instant Camera Swap: A quick tap on your video preview switches between the front and back camera.

Get ready for a tailored call experience on Skype, where you're in control of how you're viewed, call after call. 🔄✨

Stability improvements & Bug fixes:

• Audio Message Accessibility: Improved the drag functionality of the progress bar for short audio messages, ensuring easier navigation on Desktop.
• Android Stability: Fixed crashes related to the display of certain GIF images within the app.
• Background Reliability on Android: Addressed a sign-out bug that occurred when the app was running in the background.
• iOS Chat Interaction: Corrected a freeze issue where users couldn't interact with the chat after saving a draft reply and the conversation continued on another platform. Users can now scroll, access the composer, and manage drafts without disruption.

What you need to know

• Microsoft has two new features in testing for Skype that should improve video calls and chatting within the app.
• TwinCam allows you to use your mobile phone as a secondary camera feed for a call.
• Stacked media albums prevent chats from getting crowded with content by gathering photos and videos into expandable albums.
• The new features are in testing among Skype Insiders running version 8.110.76.102.

Skype has a new feature on the way that will make it easy to share multiple camera angles at once. TwinCam in Skype is now in testing among Insiders, and it lets you add your mobile phone's camera to a call. That phone camera can be used in tandem with a webcam to create a dual-camera feed.

I'm not sure why Microsoft says that it introduced TwinCam in Skype with the latest build. The feature has been available to some Insiders since January 2022. That being said, it's still a useful feature that's worth highlighting. Perhaps Microsoft talking about it more in its latest post about Skype means the feature is closer to public release.

In addition to TwinCam, Microsoft began testing improvements to how media albums are shown within Skype. Now, when you send two or more photos or videos, they'll be stacked on top of each other. This prevents a feed from getting filled with photos and videos while still letting you tap to view all the shared content.

Here's everything that's new in Skype 8.110.76.102 that's in testing among Insiders:

Skype Insider: What's new

Introducing TwinCam in Skype! 🎥✨

Experience the magic of dual perspectives in your Skype calls with our latest TwinCam feature. Perfect for tutorials, music lessons, or just sharing more of your world on mobile and desktop! 🚀

• 🤳 Seamless Integration: Use your mobile camera to add a dynamic secondary view, enhancing the conversation for everyone involved.
• 🎹 Dual-View Brilliance: Show off your piano skills or intricate details in presentations by combining your desktop and mobile camera views.
• 🐾 Pet Showcase Perfection: Effortlessly share your pet's playful moments with friends and family, while staying in the frame.
• 🔄 Easy to Connect: Activate TwinCam with a simple QR scan from your mobile during any Skype call on your desktop.
• 🔗 Compatibility Check: Make sure you have the latest Skype Insider on desktop and mobile for the best TwinCam experience.

Skype's Stacked Media Albums Enhanced! 📸🎞️

Chats just got a vibrant upgrade with Skype's Stacked Media Albums for 2+ photos and videos! Now when you share multiple visuals, they're displayed in a sleek stack—each framed perfectly to match your theme.

• 🖼️ Gallery-Style Sharing: Combine multiple images and videos into a single, elegant album stack within your chat, just like flipping through a story.
• 🔳 Themed Borders: Photos shine with a white border in light mode or a sleek black edge in dark mode, adding a pop to every picture!
• 👆 Multiple Media Magic: Share 2 or more photos or videos in chat, and watch them stack up, ready for friends to explore.
• 🔄 Seamless Swiping: Tap to expand and swipe through the album effortlessly.
• 🎨 Consistent Aesthetics: Enjoy this stylish new look on any platform—mobile, desktop, or web—with seamless theme integration.

Dive into Skype's enriched visual storytelling with Stacked Media Albums, where borders and themes meet for a picturesque chat experience! 📚✨

Stability improvements & Bug fixes:

• Skype randomly signing you out when sending an audio or video message on Mac.

What you need to know

• Microsoft is working on several improvements to Skype on iOS and Android.
• Skype Insiders can install Build 8.106.76.206, which revamps the app's call screen, brings a new camera experience, and fixes several bugs.
• The update also improves the Bing Chat experience within Skype.

Mark Twain once said, "if you don't like the weather now, wait five minutes." At Microsoft they say, "if you don't like Skype, wait until the next revamp," at least it seems that way. The app has received as many makeovers as a reality TV star, and it just got another one. Thanks to a Skype Insider Preview update, the communication app has a revamped call screen and a new camera experience. The update also improved Bing Chat within Skype and comes with the usual set of bug fixes.

Skype Insider Preview is now on Build 8.106.76.206. You can snag the update on iOS or Android, though the changes you'll see will vary based on your phone's operating system.

Microsoft outlines all of the changes in an Answers post, but you can also check them out below:

What's new with Skype?

Revamped Skype Call Screen for Mobile

We're super excited to bring our Skype mobile users a sleek, newly designed Call Screen. Experience seamless functionality that's not just on par with the desktop version, but an absolute joy to use on the go!

• 🔄Refined Layout & Controls: With an updated flex layout, the call controls have been revamped and reorganized in the footer, mirroring the sophistication of our new design.
• 👆 Intuitive Focus Mode: Just a tap on the call screen toggles between full-screen mode and call controls view. Your focus, your choice!
• 🌓 Light/Dark Theme Consistency: Whether you're a fan of the light mode or in love with the dark, we've fixed theme inconsistencies to deliver a visually pleasing experience no matter your preference.
• 🧹 Under-the-Hood Overhaul: We didn't just stop at what you can see. Our engineers performed a significant code cleanup, transforming a "spaghetti" mess into a streamlined, high-performance script that enhances call quality and reduces technical difficulties.
• 👁‍🗨 Simplified Access to Features: Switching between cameras or viewing modes is now a breeze with the '...' call control menu. All while maintaining the clean look of your call screen.

New Camera Experience in Skype!

We're bringing you a cooler, sleeker camera experience in our latest update on Android. We've revamped our camera feature for a smoother, crash-free experience to enable flawless photos with just a click!

• 🔄 Snap, Tweak, Send: Camera layout and media flows have been revamped for faster snapping, editing, and sharing.
• 🤳 Up Your Selfie Game: Refresh your profile pic and other pictures directly in the app with cool new filters and edits!
• ✨ QR Code Magic: Joining chats or logging in? Just scan a QR code, and you're in.

Introducing Bing in Your Skype 1:1 Chats!

We're thrilled to introduce Bing into your Skype 1:1 conversations, bringing a sprinkle of AI-powered enchantment and clever quips right into your chat window, on all platforms.

• 🤖 Bing Joins the Chat: No more talking to yourself! @Bing is now your go-to chat pal, ready to engage with smart suggestions, fun facts, and witty interjections. Your 1:1 chats will never be the same again!
• 🔮 AI-Powered Interaction: From quick trivia to insightful suggestions, Bing harnesses the power of AI to add a spark to your conversations. Whether you're discussing dinner plans or the mysteries of the universe, Bing's here to contribute!
• 👻 Freedom of Choice: Feeling crowded? No worries! Bing respects your space. You have the power to keep the chat going or ghost Bing at any point - no hard feelings. Your chat, your rules.
• 🌶️ Spice Up Your Chats: With Bing's arrival, expect your conversations to get a whole lot more interesting. Get ready for unexpected tidbits, laughter, and a richer, more interactive chat experience.

Stability improvements & Bug fixes

• No more endless waiting — Skype now loads past the splash screen on Android
• Say goodbye to crashes when switching apps during a call on iOS

What you need to know

• Some Skype users have been spammed with repeated notifications about new features within the app.
• The prompts have appeared as frequently as hourly, according to reports.
• Microsoft is aware of the situation and is working on a fix.

If you use Skype, you may have seen the same notification pop up several times over the last few days. Several online have reported Skype showing a notification once per day that reads "Have you tried... Video chatting anyone, even if they don't have Skype." Some have reported notifications as frequently as once per hour, according to Neowin.

Turning off Skype notifications is not an option, as doing so would remove core functionality of the app. The prompt about video chatting anyone is the same category of notification as receiving a call or message. As a result, Skype users have been left to clear the recurring prompt each day or whenever it appears.

Microsoft and the Skype team are aware of the issue and working on a fix, so the notification shouldn't bug people much longer.

"Hello Skypers, we apologize for the repeated push notifications you may have received in the past few days. We are aware of this issue and are actively working to resolve it as soon as possible," said the official X account for Skype. "We will update you on the progress and when the fix is in place."

Analysis: Accidental Skype spam

Skype is not as popular as WhatsApp or other communication platforms, but there are still quite a few people who use it. Many members of our team, including myself, have been critical of Skype in the past. Studying how Microsoft mishandled Skype over the years is a crash course on how to ruin a once-popular application.

Patience with buggy apps is rare in general, but it's especially uncommon among those who have had to put up with Skype over the years. Microsoft spamming notifications about new features is an annoyance that may push people over the edge. People I know that use Skype only have an account because they have to in order to stay in touch with certain people. If issues like this one drive a few people away from Skype, their friend groups will likely follow.

What you need to know

• Microsoft released an update to Skype Insiders today.
• The update includes several new features that improve the experience of downloading files.
• The app now supports automatically downloading files, has a streamlined way of opening items, and includes a new option for saving content.

If you're one of the few who lives on the edge of your seat to try out new Skype features, today is your lucky day. Microsoft began testing several new options with Skype Insiders this week. All of them revolve around a streamlined and improved experience for downloading and saving files.

Skype Insider now includes an option to automatically download files. In addition to having the content ready to go more quickly, Skype will show an icon that identifies the file type of the sent item.

Microsoft also changed which buttons you need to press to access a file. If auto-download is enabled, you'll no longer need to press "download." Instead, you can simply tap the file within Skype since it's already there.

Skype Insiders have the option to save files onto their devices as well.

Microsoft outlined everything that's new in a Tech Community post:

• Seamless Auto-download: Tired of manually downloading each file? Navigate to Settings -> Messaging -> Auto-download files, and once enabled, your incoming files will automatically download. What's more, as they download, you'll see a vibrant icon specific to the file type, making it instantly recognizable.
• Say Goodbye to Excess Buttons: In our earlier design, files came with a 'Download' button which, post-download, changed to an 'Open' button. We've streamlined this. Now, with auto-download enabled, simply tap or click anywhere on the received file to instantly open and view it. This experience is consistent across all platforms.
• Save with Ease: While auto-download lets you view files immediately, we understand the need to sometimes save these to your device. On desktop platforms, right-click to select the 'Save-As' option from the menu, and on mobile, open the file, and select the 'Share' option. 

In addition to the new features, the latest Insider build of Skype includes stability improvements and bug fixes, including addressing an issue that could prevent the video camera from working on Android.

If you're passionate about Skype, make sure to check out the most recent episode of the Windows Central Podcast. Our Executive Editor Daniel Rubino argued why Microsoft should combine all of its messaging services into a unified and resurrected MSN Messenger app.

What you need to know

• Microsoft shipped several improvements to Bing Chat last week.
• The chatbot can now better answer questions about sports, such as when a game is scheduled.
• Microsoft also rolled out Bing Image Creator to Skype, which gives people the option to create images within their conversations.

Microsoft makes sure to roll out new features and improvements to Bing Chat each week. While the biggest Bing-related news from last week was the rollout of Windows Copilot in preview, Bing Chat also gained some new capabilities.

The AI-powered chatbot is now better prepared to answer questions about sports, such as when an upcoming game is scheduled. Bing Image Creator in Skype also shipped to users, allowing people to generate images within Skype conversations.

Here's everything that's new, as outlined by Microsoft:

• Better sports answers: We’ve made more improvements to the way Bing Chat gives answers to questions about sports topics. In this update, we’ve supported a much broader range of team sports.
  
  Ask Bing Chat to “Show the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 schedule” or “When is the next Angels vs. White Sox game?” 
• Bing Image Creator in Skype: We’ve expanded access to Bing Image Creator so you can now generate images in your Skype conversations.
  
  Once Bing is added to your Skype conversation, ask it to “generate an image of a koala bear meditating in a forest in the style of Pablo Picasso.” 
• Latency improvements: We shipped performance improvements that have reduced latency spikes for certain chat answers. 

Regardless of what you are doing, Bing Chat should be a bit faster. Microsoft improved the performance of the chatbot when answering certain questions.

In case you were curious what Bing would create when given Microsoft's example prompt, I ran it through Bing Chat on Creative Mode. Here's what Bing Chat made when told to "generate an image of a koala bear meditating in a forest in the style of Pablo Picasso."

How did you ever hold a Skype conversation without images like this?

What you need to know

• Your Skype contacts will now be prioritized in the Contacts tab.
• It'll now be easier for users to differentiate a Skype-to-Skype call from a Skype-to-Phone call.
• Skype will let you directly check the weather in real-time from the desktop client.
• The new features are available in the latest Insider preview build of Skype.

Microsoft has been busy at work shipping updates to Skype in the past couple of months, which led to the incorporation of AI capabilities and enhanced translation features into the platform.

As it happens, Microsoft has released another update, though this one is for Insiders. It brings Skype to version 8.99.76.102. It includes several new features as well as the usual reliability fixes. 

First, you can check out the weather condition in real-time directly from Skype's desktop client. Microsoft also indicated that users can get a detailed account by clicking the weather icon.

It'll also be easier for users to differentiate a Skype-to-Skype call from a Skype-to-Phone call. Users can also hop on a Skype-to-Skype call and create links from the Calls tab. Now, the Phone tab will feature your Skype Number, credit balance, available international call subscriptions, and Skype credit recharge options for easier accessibility and better monitoring of resources.

Microsoft has also made it easier for users to identify everyone in their contact list that's on Skype by placing their details at the top of the Contacts tab. The company has also highlighted that this improvement will be rolled out across all platforms.

Users can now tap into any of Bing Chat's prompts in the Bing 1:1 chat to jump into a conversation and select the desired prompt they'd like to submit. Microsoft added that the chatbot's prompts would be reshuffled immediately after each interaction and when the platform is restarted.

Additionally, Skype now features the Bing toolbox that can be used to categorize your prompts and chats while using Bing Chat. The tool is found at the top right corner of the Bing 1:1 chat in Skype and ships with the following usage scenarios: Education, Social Media, Travel, Creativity, Entertainment, Language, Sports, Technology, and more.

Other notable additions include instant access to Bing Chat for first-time Skype users and auto-play for audio messages sent consecutively for a better listening experience.

The update also fixes the "search bar blocking visibility of the top chat in the conversation list on iPad" issue. Microsoft cited that the features should be rolling out to users gradually over the next few days, so it's possible that you might not be able to access them immediately.

What you need to know

• Microsoft has integrated Bing Chat with SwiftKey and expanded Bing Chat support to Skype group chats.
• The new Bing is also available through the Microsoft Start app.
• Translation within the Bing app now offers alternative masculine and feminine translation when translating between English and Spanish, French, or Italian.

With the new Bing gaining so much notoriety, Microsoft seems keen to integrate it with more services. The tech giant just announced several apps that have gained new functionality powered by Bing Chat and ChatGPT.

SwiftKey can now show Bing and Bing Chat directly within the keyboard. This functionality first appeared in preview last week, but it is now making its way to "all markets where the new Bing is avaialble." You'll have to sign in with a Microsoft account that has been approved to use the new Bing, however.

There are three ways that Bing integrates with SwiftKey; search, chat, and tone. Search lets you search the web without hopping into a different app. Chat opens up the conversation-based interface of the new Bing.

The tone integration is perhaps the most interesting. With it, you can have Bing rewrite your messages in different tones. For example, you could write the core ideas of your message in casual language and have AI create a formal version of the text for work.

Microsoft also announced new functionality for the mobile Bing app. It now offers alternative masculine and feminine translations to make it easier to use inclusive language. The feature supports translation from English into Spanish, French, and Italian.

Skype has a new feature as well. The new Bing is now supported within Skype group chats. Only one person within the group needs access to the new Bing in preview for the integration to work.

To summon Bing, anyone within the group can type "@bing" and then their question. The search engine will then provide a response directly in the chat.

Lastly, Microsoft Start now supports the new Bing, at least if you've cleared Microsoft's waitlist for the service. The Start app has a personalized news feed, sports scores, the weather, and stock prices. Now, it can let you access the new Bing without jumping into another app.

What you need to know

• Microsoft rolled out several improvements to Bing Chat last week.
• The service is now faster, supports more chats per session, and has improved contextual understanding.
• It's now easier to share Bing Chat responses through social media as well.

Microsoft ships improvements to Bing Chat preview each week. Last week, the chatbot gained support for more chats per session, increased its speed when set to "Balanced," and got better at understanding messages in context.

Microsoft also added a new option to share chat responses through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or email.

The Sidebar of the Edge browser gained Bing Chat and Compose last week as well. To use those features, you must sign up for the new Bing and be granted access by Microsoft.

The company clarified why some people are able to sign up for the new Bing without waiting. The Bing Blog post recapping last week's changes noted that Microsoft is testing an onboarding experience that allows some people to receive access right away.

Since that accelerated onboarding is in limited testing, you should follow our guide on how to sign up for the new Bing to get access by adding your name to the wait list. If you're lucky, you won't have to wait at all.

Here's everything that rolled out to Bing last week:

• Adding Bing Chat and Compose to the Edge Sidebar: Users on Edge v111.0.1661.41 and newer will now see the new Bing icon in the sidebar which includes Chat and Compose experiences designed for Bing chat.  These experiences will appear if you already have access to the new Bing preview—but if not, you can join the waitlist from the same location.  Previously, new Bing experiences in the sidebar were only available in the Edge Dev browser version.
• Testing faster responses: We are testing an optimization on “Balanced” mode that significantly improves performance—resulting in shorter but much faster responses.  Responses in the Precise & Creative tones remain unchanged.  
• Increasing Chat Turns to 15/150: We've increased the maximum number of turns you can have in a single conversation with Bing from 10 to 15.  The total number of turns per day has also increased from 120 to 150.
• Sharing chat responses: We've added the ability to share Bing chat responses with others in Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, email, or using a persistent link.
• Improving contextual understanding: We’ve improved the ability for Bing to absorb larger amounts of context in Creative tone conversations.  This expanded context window allows for better grounding, improved summarization of longer documents and pages, and longer conversations.
• Including the group in Skype chats with Bing: We announced last month that you can chat with Bing in Skype.  You can now skip the line and use the Bing preview in Skype with your friends.  Simply join a group chat where at least one person is approved, add Bing as a participant, and everyone can talk with it regardless of their waitlist status.  To chat with Bing, simply add @Bing at the beginning of your message.

What you need to know

• New Bing and Microsoft Edge mobile apps are now available in preview.
• The new Bing supports chat powered by ChatGPT and artificial intelligence, as does the new Bing experience within Edge on iOS and Android.
• Microsoft also announced a new Bing chat integration that's rolling out in preview within Skype.

Microsoft announced the new Bing-powered by ChatGPT earlier this month. The search engine first rolled out in testing to Microsoft Edge on the desktop, but people now have a couple of options to try it out on Android and iOS. A new Bing mobile app is available in preview starting today, as is support for the Bing chat experience within Microsoft Edge mobile.

Microsoft envisions the new Bing and Edge apps acting as a "copilot for the web." The company highlighted that 64% of searches occur on mobile phones in its blog post announcing today's news.

The new Bing mobile app is available in preview on both Android and iOS. It features a new interface with a Bing icon at the bottom that begins a chat session. Users can request responses be displayed in various ways, such as bullet points, text, or simplified responses. The app also supports voice, which Microsoft highlighted as a highly requested feature.

The new Bing experience is also available within the Microsoft Edge Mobile app for those with access to the revamped search engine.

We have a guide on how to sign up for the new Bing-powered by ChatGPT, which will help you gain access to the search engine across multiple platforms.

Also in the preview is the ability to add Bing to a Skype chat. People can ping the search engine within a chat to get answers to questions or help make plans. Like the new Bing experience on Android, iOS, and within Edge, users can pick the format of responses they'd like Bing to generate.

Those with access to the new Bing preview should see the features announced "later today." Microsoft warns that people may encounter connectivity issues due to low bandwidth in the first few days as these experiences are in preview.

What you need to know

• A recent Skype update adds the option to use your own voice when translating speech to another language.
• The app can now automatically detect when a person speaks another language and translate their voice as well.
• In addition to improvements to Skype translation, the update adds some personalization options and bug fixes.

Microsoft has worked to improve Skype translation over the years. The feature first came out in preview seven years ago and has gained new features steadily. Now, Skype can automatically detect when a person speaks another language and start translating their voice. The app can also make it sound as if you are speaking another language through the power of AI.

The new functionality comes with an update that bumps Skype to version 8.93. The translation features are available for Skype on all platforms, including the web. Here's the change log from Microsoft:

Skype 8.93: Windows, Mac, Linux, Web

• Who’s this?: You can easily manage your Caller ID settings from within the Skype app. Learn more about how to setup Caller ID.
• All the pretty colors: You can customize your theme in Skype and choose from several different colors. Learn how to change your theme in Skype.
• The Beauty of languages: You can now use your own voice during a translated call in Skype. Learn more about how to setup and use Translated conversations in Skype.
• Universal translator: During a Skype call, if a participant speaks different languages, Skype Translator will automatically detect the languages and translate it for you. Learn more about Translated Conversations in Skype.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements. Got rid of some bugs, made a few tweaks. All in a day's work.

Skype 8.93: Android, iPhone, iPad

• Who’s this?: You can easily manage your Caller ID settings from within the Skype app. Learn more about how to setup Caller ID.
• All the pretty colors: You can customize your theme in Skype and choose from several different colors. Learn how to change your theme in Skype.
• Extra! Extra! Read all about it: Stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends. Learn more about the Skype Today tab.
• Hit me up sometime: You can easily add contacts in Skype on mobile using a unique QR code to get connected. Learn more about how to find and add new Skype contacts.
• Lookin’ fresh: We’ve made some updates with Skype videos calls on mobile.
• The Beauty of languages: You can now use your own voice during a translated call in Skype. Learn more about how to setup and use Translated conversations in Skype.
• Universal translator: During a Skype call, if a participant speaks different languages, Skype Translator will automatically detect the languages and translate it for you. Learn more about Translated Conversations in Skype.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements. Got rid of some bugs, made a few tweaks. All in a day's work.

Microsoft noted that the features will roll out gradually over the next few days, so you might not see them right away.

What you need to know

• Skype can now translate your voice in real-time to other languages.
• The feature uses AI to make it sound as if you were speaking another language.
• Previously, Skype's real-time translation feature used a generic voice that could sound off since it did not match the original speaker.

Microsoft announced a new experience for Skype mobile today. Alongside that news, the company also shared details about an improved translation feature for the communication platform. Skype can now translate a person's voice in real-time while using AI to make the translated voice sound similar to that of the original speaker.

Real-time translation has been available on Skype for years, but it could be a jarring experience since the translated voice wouldn't sound anything like the original speaker. For example, in Microsoft's demonstration video below, the original speaker is male while the translated voice is female. The speakers also have different accents.

Now, with the power of artificial intelligence, Skype can make it sound as if you're speaking another language, at least to an extent. The feature is clearly still in its early stages, but the change between a person's voice and the translation is less jarring with natural voice enabled.

Skype uses speech recognition technology and natural language processing to translate speech. AI is then stacked on top of that to sample spoken words to shape the sound of the voice translation. The natural voice processing is done in real-time to prevent people from being able to misuse your voice.

Natural voice translation is available now in Skype 1-on-1 calls. It will make its way to group calls and phone calls made through Skype next year. It's currently possible to translate your voice in real-time to English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and several other languages.

What you need to know

• Microsoft has redesigned Skype for mobile devices.
• The app has a new loading experience, new illustrations, and improved options for themes.
• Microsoft also improved the performance and reliability of Skype with the app's most recent update.

Microsoft has redesigned Skype once again. The communication app now has a new loading experience, new illustrations, and animated emoticons. Microsoft also added new color options to the app that work with both the light and dark themes. In its announcement post about the update, Microsoft said that the new experience "should feel very familiar and at the same time fresh and modern."

In addition to adding the ability to accent light or dark themes with different colors, Skype's new experience has accessibility color themes that should make the app easier to read and navigate.

The calling experience within Skype has improved as well. Video calls of up to 100 people are now supported and the app has a new mobile calling stage. That new stage aligns with the desktop equivalent that shipped last year. It supports adding custom backgrounds for participants without video and has a light theme now. Stability and performance of video calls should also be better after Skype's most recent update.

Microsoft is working on scaling options for video calls, which will be in testing among Insiders in the near future.

A new 'Today' tab also rolled out to Skype with this month's update. It shows personalized news articles, which are presumably similar to what a person would see through Bing or Microsoft Start.

Microsoft also announced new features for real-time translation. We'll cover those separately as they're rather significant and worth highlighting on their own.

Windows Central take — does Skype matter in 2022?

People had already shifted away from Skype in favor of other platforms when the global pandemic hit. The success of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other services accelerated the mass exodus from Skype. Microsoft has redesigned Skype, rolled back design changes, and added new features to Skype over the years in an effort to modernize the app.

Our managing editor called Skype one of Microsoft's four most disappointing products and services in 2018. I wrote about how another 'new' Skype wasn't going to save the platform back in 2021. Our senior editor Zac Bowden talked about how Microsoft failed to capitalize on Skype's potential as well. All of the issues we highlighted are still present, regardless of a redesign to cap off 2022.

I used to be frustrated by the failure of Skype. The service actually has a lot of good features and there's no doubt in my mind that the team behind it has excellent engineers and developers. But mismanagement and shifted priorities have placed Skype squarely in the back of people's minds, if they think about it at all.

Now, I'm apathetic toward Skype, as I believe most people are. Microsoft can use it as a testing ground for new features that will eventually make their way to the more-popular Teams.

What you need to know

• Microsoft recently rolled out an update for Skype Insider Preview.
• The update adds the ability to quote/reply to a photo, which was a functionality previously limited to responding to text.
• It's now easier to like or react to messages in Skype Insider Preview as well.

The latest update to Skype Insider Preview adds the ability to quote/reply to a photo. Previously, users could only quote text messages in Skype. The update also makes it easier to like and react to messages. People can now double tap to like a text message and click or tap on someone else's reaction to add a reaction.

It's worth noting that WhatsApp and some other platforms have supported quoting photos and other forms of media for quite some time. Still, it's nice to see Microsoft add support for a popular feature.

Here's what's new in the latest Skype Insider Preview, as found in the update's changelog:

• "Quote/Reply to a photo on all Platforms. You can now directly reply to/quote a picture that someone sends you in chat. Before, you could only quote text messages.
• Double tap to like a text message received on Mobile. You can quickly and conveniently double tap a message, to quickly react to it with a like.
• Click/tap on someone else's reaction to add a message reaction on all Platforms. To duplicate someone's message reaction, click on their reaction on desktop and tap on mobile. You can also remove the reaction the same way. To see who reacted with an emoticon, hover on desktop and tap&hold on Mobile.
• Stability improvements"

The update also includes a list of bug fixes, including improvements on Windows 11, Windows 10, iOS, and Android.

Microsoft noted that the new features mentioned in its post will roll out gradually. As a result, you may not be able to use them at this time, even if you're a Skype Insider.

What you need to know

• Microsoft recently shipped several features for Skype preview that are part of the company's Ukraine-centric efforts.
• The latest Insider build of Skype can make free phone calls to Ukraine and translate calls to and from Ukrainian.
• Skype also has "Support Ukraine" emoticons, including a heart inspired by the Ukrainian flag.

Microsoft is working to make it easier to communicate with people in Ukraine. The latest Insider build of Skype includes several features that are part of Microsoft's Ukraine-centric efforts, including the ability to make free phone calls to Ukraine. The update also adds support for translating phone calls to and from Ukrainian. Skype preview gains several "Support Ukraine" emoticons following the update as well.

Here's the changelog for the latest Insider build of Skype:

Ukraine centric efforts:

• Make free phone calls to Ukraine: on all platforms. Stay connected by calling from/to Ukraine for free. To help further, we support Ukraine through the non-profit organizations listed on the Skype Home Page, and you can as well.
• Support for more languages in Translated Conversations: on all platforms. Translate your Skype and phone calls from/to the Ukrainian language.
• "Support Ukraine" emoticons: on all platforms. (ukraineheart) (ukrainehandshake) (ukrainepray)
• Google Play In-App Billing System: on Android. To purchase Credit, Subscriptions and Skype Numbers.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements

In addition to the Ukraine-focused features, the update adds support for the Google Play In-App billing system, which lets people pay for subscriptions directly within the app.

Microsoft has taken several steps that focus on the ongoing war in Ukraine. The company's president, Brad Smith, discussed fighting cyberattacks and disinformation back in February. Microsoft also suspended new sales of its products and services in Russia earlier this month.

What you need to know

• Microsoft is testing a Meet Now button for Skype within its Edge browser.
• The feature allows people to create a call that others can easily join with a link.
• To use the Meet Now button, you have to activate it on the latest version of Edge Canary.

The latest version of Microsoft Edge Canary has a Meet Now button for Skype in testing. The option is in a controlled rollout and requires activation, but once enabled, it allows you to easily create and share a Skype call. Leo Varela spotted the new functionality and shared screenshots of it in action on Reddit.

The Meet Now feature lets you name and create a meeting that you can share with a link. People do not need to download Skype or create an account to join your meeting.

Similar Meet Now functionality is available through Windows 10 for Skype and Windows 11 for Microsoft Teams.

Since the Meet Now button is part of a controlled rollout, you may not see the option to use it, even if you're on Edge Canary. If you are part of the rollout, you can activate the feature through the Appearance page within the Settings section of Edge. After enabling the option, you'll see the choice to use the Meet Now feature within the context menu on Edge.

What you need to know

• Skype now supports emergency calling from the United States.
• The feature lets you contact 911 and share your location with emergency operators.
• Skype also gained support for longer voice messages and a handful of other new features in a recent update.

Microsoft recently shipped an update for the desktop version of Skype that adds support for emergency calling in the United States. Skype users can now call 911 and share their location information with emergency operators through their PCs. The same update also allows voice messages of up to five minutes and adds a handful of other new features.

Skype also supports calling emergency services from the desktop in Australia, Denmark, Finland, and the UK. The communication app supports a much longer list of countries when it comes to contacting emergency services from mobile devices.

The addition of emergency calling support on the desktop came as part of an update that brings the app to version 8.80. Here's the changelog:

• There's time now! The time limit on voice messages has increased from 2 minutes to 5 minutes. Learn more about how to send a voice message in Skype.
• When "Wow" just doesn't cover it: We added the ability to have custom reactions on mobile. Learn more about how to react in a call on Skype for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Web.
• Lighten up: When you choose a light or dark theme in Skype, it will reflect during your Skype call. Learn more about how to change your theme in Skype.
• Get a closer look: Now you can zoom in on the share screen. Learn more about what you can do during a Skype call.
• Emergency calling: You can now make emergency calls from Skype in the United States. Learn more about emergency calling support in Skype for the United States.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements. We called the exterminator and got rid of some bugs.

Microsoft outlines the limitations of emergency calling support in a support document. Notably, you may need to allow location sharing to use the feature.

What you need to know

• Skype for iOS and iPadOS now supports Turkish for Translated Conversations.
• A recent update to the app also allows people to revoke and disable all links to an individual profile.
• The update, which started rolling out last week, brings Skype for version 8.80.1

Microsoft recently released an update for Skype on iOS and iPadOS. The update brings the app to version 8.80.1 on both platforms and includes a couple of new features. Skype now supports more languages for Translated Conversations and includes the option to disable links for specific profiles.

Specifically, users can now use Skype for Translated Conversations in Turkish. A total of 41 languages can now be translated through Skype, though some of those are different variations of the same languages, such as Spanish (Mexico) and Spanish (Spain).

Here's the full changelog from the App Store listing for Skype:

• Support for more languages in Translated Conversations, i.e. Turkish
• Revoke & disable all existing links to your profile and create a new one
• Bug fixes and improvements

The ability to revoke and disable links to Skype profiles should also come in handy. After sharing profile links over an extended period of time, a person may want a fresh start.

Skype has the ability to translate typed messages, though the feature does not work with group chats or group calls. The service can also translate spoken conversations in real-time.

What you need to know

• Skype Insider build 8.80 is out in the wild.
• It packs the new TwinCam feature, wherein you can have two camera feeds per person on your call.

In case you've been devoting 100% of your video calling energy to Microsoft Teams, don't forget that not only is Skype alive and well, but it's still getting brand new features via its Insider builds. And Skype Insider build 8.80 is out now, meaning you can get in on the latest utility from the video calling platform: TwinCam.

TwinCam enables you to have a second camera feed running during your call. Here's Microsoft's brief guide on how to enable it (assuming you have the Insider build):

1. Start a group call on Desktop/Web, with 2+ people joining the call
2. Then, on your mobile device that has the same Skype version installed (Skype Insider app in this case), log in with the same account
3. (3.1) Join the ongoing group call from your Skype app OR (3.2) Click the TwinCam button on Desktop/Web and scan the displayed QR code (hover your phone camera over the QR code, to scan). It should redirect you to your Skype app on your mobile device
4. Then, tap the 'Start TwinCam' button

You can check out the Microsoft forum post for more details on TwinCam, including nuggets of knowledge hidden away in the comments section. For example, an Insider on Windows 10 claimed they were unable to see the new feature and asked why only Windows 11 Insiders received it, with a Microsoft employee responding to that person by saying, "it's coming to you very soon." The moral of the story: Always read the comments!

What you need to know

• Users have been reporting Skype is putting them through a brutal gauntlet of Captcha challenges in order to make an account.
• The reports indicate said Captcha challenge needs to be completed not twice, not thrice, but ten times.
• Windows Central attempted a fresh Skype account creation and only had to endure a single Captcha challenge, so results may vary.

Alright, so Microsoft has two ferries leaving Gotham harbor. One is loaded with Microsoft Teams users, and the other, Skype users. Now, in order to join the Skype users and prevent their boat from capsizing due to an autonomously enlarging hole in the hull of the ship, you'll need to recreate the Mona Lisa in Microsoft Paint—

This is a long way of saying that Skype is reportedly putting users through a lengthy series of taxing logic problems ("Captchas") before allowing them the simple privilege of creating an account. If you need a refresher on what a Captcha entails, content creator Dunkey has an excellent breakdown of the subject.

You can check out Reddit to witness the dogpile of people all lamenting the Herculean task that is setting up a Skype account due to the Captcha situation. For what it's worth, when we here at Windows Central took a stab at setting up a Skype account, we only had to deal with a single, easy "find the turtle" Captcha. But that's not to say the reports are wrong; too many have cited Microsoft's Riddler gauntlet's existence. The point is that you may luck out and be exempted from Redmond's Jigsaw-esque account setup process.

It's doubtful many foresaw this when predicting the future of Skype. We will update this story in the event Microsoft introduces logarithmic equations into the Captcha lineup.

What you need to know

• Skype for Windows, Mac, Linux, and the web just received an update to version 8.78.
• The update adds new options for screen sharing and a refreshed overall design.
• Skype on iOS and Android also received an update that adds a new search bar.

Microsoft recently released Skype 8.78 to all major platforms, including Windows, iOS, Android, and the web. The update brings a modern interface to the desktop and web versions of Skype, including rounded corners and a refreshed design. The mobile versions of Skype gain a new search bar and the option to have notifications moved to the bottom of the screen.

Here's everything that's new in Skype version 8.78:

Skype for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Web

• Sharing is caring: We've given you more options for sharing—or not sharing—in Skype. Learn more about screen sharing in Skype.
• Thoroughly modern messaging: In the light theme, rounded corners and added color modernize our design and make your messages look sharp. We've also made avatars larger.
• And modern calling, too: Enjoy a modernized experience while you're on a call.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements. We wrapped some bugs in a rug and took them outside. Then we tidied up a bit.

Skype for Android, iPhone, and iPad

• Stylin' and profilin': A bright, new search bar and updated avatars allow you to connect with style.
• Keep it moving: Notifications have moved to the bottom of the screen for easier navigation.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements. We wrapped some bugs in a rug and took them outside. Then we tidied up a bit.

The update also fixes some issues with screensharing and a bug that caused the app to crash when sharing photos.

What you need to know

• Skype version 8.77 has arrived.
• It packs new features and fixes for users on Windows, Linux, Mac, and the web.
• Skype for Android, iPhone, and iPad also has a laundry list of updates.

Skype is alive and well, no matter what anyone says. And to prove that, the communications platform just got its 8.77 version update. It's packing a little something for everybody, no matter what device you use the service on.

In a brief blog post, Microsoft bulleted what's new for Skype on Windows, Linux, Mac, Web, Android, iPhone, and iPad. To start, here's what you can expect from the time-tested service's latest version on Windows, Linux, Mac, and the web:

• Blur the lines: Don't bother to tidy up before your Skype on the Web video call; just turn on background blur (because you can do that now). Learn more about customizing your background in Skype.
• Fresh new threads: We've made some changes to modernize Skype's look, but don't worry, everything is still where you left it.
• Foxy: We've added support for audio calls in Mozilla Firefox, so you can use Skype on the web on virtually any browser. Learn more about Skype browser compatibility.
• Put a pin in that: Keep losing track of someone in a large call? We've now made it so you can pin participants to the active call stage, so you always know right where they are. Learn more about what you can do in a Skype call.
• Meet, meet, meet: We've made some improvements to the Meet Now flow. Learn more about Meet Now in Skype.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements. We've used loud noises to scare off some bugs, then battened down the hatches a bit to make everything just a little more solid.

As for Skype for Android, iPhone, and iPad, here's what's on the docket:

• Keep that Data moving: You can now use Skype on the Web on your Android phone or tablet. Learn more about supported browsers for Skype on the Web.
• Blur the lines: Don't bother to tidy up before your Skype on the Web video call; just turn on background blur (because you can do that now). Learn more about customizing your background in Skype.
• That's a solid render: We've fixed some issues with video rendering on mobile, so send those adorable pet videos at your leisure.
• Fresh new threads: We've made some changes to modernize Skype's look, but don't worry, everything is still where you left it.
• Foxy: We've added support for audio calls in Mozilla Firefox, so you can use Skype on the web on virtually any browser. Learn more about Skype browser compatibility.
• Put a pin in that: Keep losing track of someone in a large call? We've now made it so you can pin participants to the active call stage, so you always know right where they are. Learn more about what you can do in a Skype call.
• Meet, meet, meet: We've made some improvements to the Meet Now flow. Learn more about Meet Now in Skype.
• The eye in the sky. We've updated the camera function in Skype on your iPhone and iPad to take full advantage of Office Lens. Learn more about personalizing photos and videos in Skype.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements. We've used loud noises to scare off some bugs, then battened down the hatches a little to make everything just a little more solid.

There are a few more bits and baubles in the official blog post, so it's worth checking out if you want the complete list of fixes to come with Skype 8.77. With that said, the items listed above are the big-ticket ones.

If you haven't followed Skype news for a bit, don't worry—we have. Check out our coverage for a refresher on the eternal Microsoft service that's perfectly cool with having Microsoft Teams as a brother.

Earlier today Microsoft outlined some of its plans for the future of Skype. The blog post says that Skype is "here to stay" and that Microsoft plans to have an "improved, faster, reliable, and super modern-looking Skype." I'll forgive you if you check the date on our news post. It's certainly the type of thing we've heard from Microsoft before.

I have nothing against the specific features or changes on the way to Skype. TwinCam, which allows you to add a smartphone to a call to provide a second camera angle, actually sounds pretty cool. Customizable notification sounds, new themes, and new background options are also welcome additions. But I can't help but feel like we've heard this song and dance before.

Microsoft has built, torn down, and rebuilt Skype more times than I care to count. Microsoft has clearly moved on from Skype to focus on Microsoft Teams, which is the default communication app on Windows 11. Another new Skype isn't going to save the platform. Honestly, I don't think anything will.

New isn't always better

Sorry, Barney Stinson, new isn't always better. Microsoft has taken several steps forward and backward when it comes to the quality of Skype. Those steps occurred seemingly at random as well, rather than trending in the right direction. It feels as if some people at Microsoft know there's something wrong with Skype but don't know how to fix it. In an attempt to improve the service, Microsoft remakes the app once every year or so.

Our senior editor Zac Bowden recapped Microsoft's efforts in a more extensive piece on how Microsoft mishandled Skype:

It's too late for Skype

Skype already lost the battle for everyday people. In a world in which people were forced to communicate through the web, Zoom, WhatsApp, and other messaging apps exploded. Where people used to say they'd Skype someone, they now say they'll Zoom them.

Some people still use Skype, of course. I'm sure there are actually millions of people that have Skype accounts. I bet some people even use Skype voluntarily. But the Skype brand has dwindled consistently over the years.

The general public has already moved on from Skype, and to be honest it feels like Microsoft has as well.

People left Skype for a reason

People didn't just switch from Skype to Zoom and WhatsApp to go with a trend. Skype has a long history of inconsistency. When Microsoft was in the running to purchase Discord, our senior editor Jez Corden discussed some of the issues with Skype:

Once people leave a platform for communication, the platform loses value. Microsoft could fix every single issue with Skype, but it wouldn't matter much if people have already left.

A dead Skype isn't a total loss

Microsoft doesn't need Skype to succeed as a consumer service. That's not why the company drove it into the ground, but it's downfall isn't that big of a loss. Skype for Business has transitioned to Microsoft Teams. The tech that Microsoft wanted from Skype is being used in other services like Teams and Xbox Live messaging. If Skype stopped working as a platform tomorrow, Microsoft would still benefit from its acquisition of the platform.

Like Mixer tech living on in the Xbox ecosystem, Skype tech remains throughout Microsoft's software, including some of the best Windows 10 apps. Even in cases where Microsoft switched to a different protocol or underlying tech, it still gained insight from its development Skype.

I'm not sure Microsoft cares whether Skype is a premier platform for communication again. If it does, I don't think the upcoming updates to Skype will do much to convince people.

What you need to know

• Microsoft detailed its plans for "an improved, faster, reliable, and super modern-looking Skype."
• New themes, color options, and a refined look will roll out to Skype in the future.
• Skype's performance will improve by 30% on desktop and over 2,000% on Android in key scenarios.

Microsoft outlined plans to improve Skype, including a more modern design and improved performance in a new blog post. Skype says that it's "here to stay" in its post that breaks down several upcoming changes and new features.

Skype plans to upgrade the call stage, which it says is the most important part of the platform. The app will soon have new themes and layouts, including improvements to how Skype shows a grid of video feeds.

In the future, if someone joins a call with just audio, they'll be able to have a custom background behind their icon. These are the same backgrounds that people can choose from for video feeds, so they should look familiar and help fill the call stage.

Skype will also improve chat headers, add fluent icons, and support customizable themes with more color options. Notification sounds will also be customizable.

The performance of Skype in key scenarios will be improved by 30% on desktop and over 2,000% on Android. Skype will also support all browsers in the future.

Microsoft has a new feature for Skype on the way called TwinCam that allows people to add a smartphone to a call for an additional camera angle. The company doesn't provide an exact timeline for its new features or the changes on the way to the app, though the aforementioned blog post states that the changes are on the way this year.

Time will tell if these changes greatly impact Skype users. Microsoft recently brought on a new CVP (Corporate Vice President), Manik Gupta, to oversee the company's Skype initiatives. For context, the video-calling platform has been derided as irrelevant or noncompetitive by some people in recent years, meaning changes could be an attempt to reassert Skype's place in a world with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other competitors.

Microsoft, much like a bullet, moves in one direction: Forward. Things that can't keep up get retired, and things that can are enabled to ride the wave. It's the strategy of any efficient company, but for the consumers using its products, there can sometimes be casualties.

That's why it was somewhat surprising to see Microsoft hire a new executive with the word "Skype" in his job title. Manik Gupta, the new corporate vice president of Microsoft Teams Consumer, Skype, and GroupMe, has been tapped by the tech giant to lead its consumer apps into the future. The question is: What future is that, exactly?

Windows Central reached out to experts to get an idea of where Skype and Teams Consumer may be headed, given their overlap.

Skype and Microsoft Teams Consumer: Room for both?

When asked about the trajectory of the two Microsoft apps, IDC Research Director Wayne Kurtzman highlighted a reason Skype may still be in discussions for the foreseeable future.

"Skype was likely heading into the sunset when Covid hit," Kurtzman said. "The Skype logo became more prominent as it was often seen on news broadcasts and streams."

However, public recognition isn't everything. Sometimes an existing service doesn't afford the same opportunities as what a company envisions its successor as being capable of, in which case, the former's recognizability isn't enough to save it.

"The question for Microsoft is do they really want to support two products, or just one. (Hint: Just one)," Kurtzman continued. "There is brand visibility they can and should shift to Teams. User behavior being what it is, Microsoft may need a new slimmed down, really easy to use, Teams conferencing option to replace Skype."

Skype and Microsoft Teams Consumer: Two kings, one kingdom

While it's certainly possible Microsoft could go the economical route and consolidate its efforts to a single app, there is room for it to go the other way and embrace duality, or go even further and revert to letting Skype drive consumer-facing efforts. Moor Insights & Strategy Senior Analyst Anshel Sag weighed in on this perspective.

"Once Microsoft really started to lean into Teams, it seemed like Skype became a 2nd-class citizen," Sag stated. "I could see Skype being revived or revitalized to be more consumer-friendly and possibly the spear of Microsoft's consumer strategy because at this moment Teams for consumers seems very confusing and not that consumer-friendly."

With regards to the appointment of Gupta, what he could bring to the table, and the direction Microsoft could take for consumer endeavors as a whole, Sag provided feedback. "I think Skype and Microsoft's consumer communications strategy needs a revamp because Skype started out as a consumer product that became an enterprise product."

Skype and Microsoft Teams Consumer: The exec factor

CCS Insight Principal Analyst Angela Ashenden provided her thoughts on Gupta's new role as well, highlighting what it might represent for Microsoft as a whole given the exec's consumer-facing experience from his time at Uber and Google, among other companies. "Gupta's experience in this arena is the company's latest attempt to get to grips with the consumer opportunity — this was also part of the thinking behind its attempted acquisitions of Discord, Pinterest and TikTok: Helping the company to become a credible consumer app player, and bringing another dimension to its innovation strategy," she said.

Ashenden went on to reinforce what Sag and Kurtzman highlighted: Skype's visibility. Of all of Microsoft's apps, few names are as widely recognized as Skype, which many consider to be the home of the video call.

"Microsoft has no formal plans to ditch Skype yet, but much of that will be because Skype still has a considerable user base in the consumer space," Ashenden stated. "We even see it in enterprises too — our latest survey of employees showed that 11% use the consumer-focused Skype app for business purposes. (For context, 16% use Skype for Business and 30% use Teams.)"

With that being said, she also seconded what Kurtzman mentioned in that when it came to long-term goals, supporting one product would likely be Microsoft's plan if it were feasible to drop the straggler. However, she questioned whether the complex, feature-laden Teams would be able to attract consumers in the same way that Skype and in its inherent simplicity did.

Skype and Microsoft Teams Consumer: Who really knows?

At the end of the day, the two entities that know what the future of Skype and Teams Consumer will be are Manik Gupta and Microsoft. But it's fun to speculate nonetheless, especially given the likelihoods of the aforementioned forecasts coming to fruition.

Do you want to see Teams take over as Microsoft's one-stop shop for all things related to consumer communications when the era of Windows 11 fully kicks in and the best Windows 10 apps are replaced? Or would you rather Skype maintain its position as the simple, slim alternative that will stand the test of time by sheer force of its own popularity? Let us know in the comments below.

What you need to know

• Skype for Business Online's extinction has been on the way for two years.
• Microsoft released many reminders about its impending termination.
• As of July 31, 2021, the service has been retired.

Skype for Business Online is no more. August 2, 2021, marks the first work week following the fallen service's July 31 termination date. Only a handful of exceptional cases can now use it, and even that is temporary.

Microsoft's going all-in on Teams, and part of that mission involves shedding some of its Skype-branded skin, notably in the form of Skype for Business Online. The one class of users protected from the eradication of the service includes organizations that have scheduled Teams upgrades set for after July 31. In other words, the only people still on Skype for Business Online are those who are actively slated to move off of it in the immediate future.

Microsoft explains the transitionary procedure in more detail on its blog post discussing the topic:

With all that being said, Skype itself isn't going anywhere (for now). Even though the Business Online end of it has ceased operations, the consumer-grade iteration of Skype and Skype for Business Servers persist. And, in an interesting note from Microsoft, "Skype for Business Online operated by 21Vianet (China Sovereign Clouds Instance)" remains active.

What you need to know

• Microsoft Teams allows for Together Mode meetings with as few as two people.
• Skype now offers this two-person functionality as well.

Together Mode is a fun feature in Microsoft Teams and Skype that puts meeting participants together against a shared digital backdrop, creating the illusion that they're occupying the same space. There are various backgrounds with which to spice up your meetings, meaning you and your fellow callers can pretend to be in a diversity of places beyond the actual offices and living rooms where the chats are taking place in reality.

Take, for example, the new plane scene that's been added to Together Mode for Skype. It puts you on a plane. And better yet, you don't need a massive flight's worth of people to enjoy the scene, because now Together Mode for Skype allows for 1-to-1 calls, meaning even if you're only talking with one other person, you can enjoy virtual togetherness against whatever backdrop suits you.

Skype's Luis Carrasco highlighted the news over on Twitter (via OnMSFT).

This isn't the only big Skype news in recent memory. Not too long ago, Skype Insiders got a big feature for the Surface Duo, enabling them to enjoy the service in new ways. Microsoft's always cooking up new utilities and features for its Teams counterpart.

On the Teams front, Microsoft rarely goes more than a day without something updating or changing. For example, Teams Chat is now directly integrated into Windows 11 (an update that's been rolling out to Insiders), and Teams' notification defaults are getting a major shakeup. These are just a few of the numerous updates Microsoft has tossed Teams fans within the past few days.

What you need to know

• Skype Insider Preview was just updated to support split windows on Android.
• The update also adds support for animated backgrounds on calls.
• Skype on iOS also gained support for sharing files from chats in its latest preview build.

Microsoft just rolled out an update for Skype Insiders that brings several new features. It adds support for split windows on Android and lets iOS users share files from chats. The update brings Skype Insider Preview to build 8.74.76.129. Split window support should enhance the experience on devices like the Surface Duo.

Skype Insiders can also use animated videos as backgrounds now. The feature supports GIFs, allowing people to add more personal flair to video calls.

Here's the full changelog from Microsoft:

• Animated background for video calls! Just select GIF from local files and enjoy your new background.
• Customized Call Reactions – choose your personal set of reactions.
• Split Window on Android – because we want to improve your user experience for desktop-like environments. Supporting Surface Duo, Samsung DeX and most of the Chromebooks.
• Files sharing from chat in Skype for iOS.

An experienced powered by Microsoft Teams may be the new default chat app for Windows 11, but Skype is still used by millions of people. The features currently in testing among Insiders should help deliver a better experience across devices.

Skype Insider builds roll out gradually, so you might not see this update for a few days. You can sign up to be a Skype Insider for Windows, iOS, Android, Mac, Linux, and the web.

What you need to know

• Skype recently received updates for its iOS and iPadOS versions.
• The update brings an upgraded custom reaction picker and an improved share extension.
• The iOS version of Skype also gained the ability to make Skype Number purchases within the app.

Skype for iOS and iPadOS just received an update that adds several new features. The update includes an upgraded custom reaction picker and an improved Share extension that supports dark mode.

The upgraded custom reaction picker should make it easy to select your favorite emojis to react to other people's messages instantly.

Here's everything that's new for Skype on iOS, as found on its App Store listing:

• In-client Skype Number purchases
• Improved Share extension with dark mode support and better performance
• Upgraded custom reaction picker so you can now have more reactions right at your fingertips
• Bug fixes and stability improvements

The iPad version of Skype has the same changelog, except it does not add in-client Skype Number purchases.

A Skype Number is a second phone number. It's attached to your Skype account and lets you answer incoming calls from anywhere. For example, people could call you from a mobile or landline number. It's a popular feature for people who regularly speak to people who live in other countries. You can also use it to set up call forwarding to answer calls on another phone.

What you need to know

• Skype for Business Online gets retired on July 31, 2021.
• Your options after July 31 will be Microsoft Teams or Skype for Business Server.
• Microsoft will be scheduling Microsoft-assisted upgrades in the coming weeks.

If you're on Skype for Business Online, you probably already know that the service's days are numbered. Microsoft has been waving the red flag about this for years, so the company's latest reminder shouldn't come as a surprise (via ZDNet). As of today, you have 90 days until Skype for Business Online is retired.

Microsoft's recent post on the subject clarifies what's going to happen when the service is retired, what users' options are, and what the Microsoft-assisted upgrade rollout will look like. The first item mentioned is that customers can transition to either Microsoft Teams or an instance of Skype for Business Server. Then, there's a list of what will happen on July 31, which states that services that integrate with Skype for Business online won't be supported anymore, nor will customers be able to move users out of Teams Only mode.

Microsoft isn't looking to shove anyone out in the cold, though. Its post has multiple sections dedicated to how smooth transitions out of Skype for Business Online can be achieved. The first one details the company's plans for Microsoft-assisted upgrades to Microsoft Teams. Here's a snippet of it:

You can see the full outline of transition assistance plans and tools via the Microsoft Teams Blog post linked above. And if you're sad about Skype for Business Online going away, don't forget that Microsoft Teams is pretty great, too. It's constantly getting new features such as automatic meeting recording, call merging, improved GitHub integration, and so much more.

Microsoft has a long and storied history with messaging apps. Whether it's nostalgic memories of MSN Messenger, or more recent efforts with Microsoft Teams, communication is practically foundational to every Microsoft vertical. Microsoft has also had a long and storied history of, well, failure in this area. Despite buying up Skype, the relevancy of Skype as a platform has deteriorated in recent years in favor of speedier competitors, like WhatsApp and Telegram, or more-connected social networks like Facebook Messenger.

Skype has still found its footing as a back-end service for products like Microsoft Teams and Xbox Live, both of which boast tens of millions of monthly active users. Still, there are big, gaping holes in Microsoft's ability to engage consumers within its own communication platforms, especially when it comes to building communities, or even running small businesses.

A new report from VentureBeat suggests that gaming-oriented messaging platform Discord is looking to sell for upwards of $10 billion. One has to assume that Microsoft is in the running to be among those to acquire the messaging platform, given that it aligns almost perfectly with its plans for the future of gaming. It could also boost Microsoft's business aspirations, given that it is arguably more intuitive for smaller businesses than Microsoft Teams who don't need the scale or enterprise-grade integrations the service offers.

Here's why I think Microsoft should certainly look to place itself in the bidding war for Discord, if it's not already at the fore.

Microsoft's messaging services are bad

I hate to say it, but Skype, Microsoft Teams, and Xbox Live messaging are all pretty awful at doing their job in general. Skype remains among the more reliable services for voice and video comms, and Xbox Live party chats generally do the job for group voice in gaming, but they've all fallen so far behind competing services due to lack of innovation.

To be fair to Microsoft Teams, it does things at scale for enterprises that competing solutions simply cannot offer. But as a user in a mid-sized business who simply needs these services for fundamental communication and filesharing, Microsoft's competitors generally seem to have an edge for the basics.

Microsoft is a lumbering corporate giant, and often fails to meet the pace of innovation smaller, more nimble teams can accomplish. Few others represent this as succinctly as Discord, which not only destroys Skype and Xbox Live at texting, mobile quality, and usability, but arguably is even better than Microsoft Teams as an environment for professional use. Discord has a wealth of mature services, tools, and bots that can turn basic Discord servers into productivity powerhouses with only a few simple tweaks.

I remember long before even working in the industry, I was scratching my head over Microsoft's decision to shutter MSN Messenger in favor of Skype. MSN was faster than Skype and had a more intuitive interface. Frankly, it still does.

I'm not quite sure why, but it's absurd to me that, in 2021, Skype and Xbox Live messaging services lag behind the competition in speed. It just doesn't feel good to send texts over Skype-based services, watching the app struggle to open even on the world's most powerful PCs and phones, while Telegram and WhatsApp, and crucially, Discord, all open at a mere instant. If after years of failed attempts to rebrand and rebuild Skype, Microsoft is unable to improve even the most basic aspects of the service, there must be something fundamentally wrong with it. What else could it be? It's time to cut loose and move on.

Discord would solve all of Microsoft's social shortcomings

Microsoft has already been working pretty closely with Discord in recent years, and we've seen evidence that Microsoft is looking at even deeper integration between Xbox messaging and Discord in the near future. This could be a hint that Microsoft is indeed in the bidding to acquire the service, which is synonymous across the board with gaming communities everywhere.

Microsoft has attempted to emulate Discord's features in some ways. Microsoft's own "Xbox Clubs" feature started fairly promisingly, and we even saw designs that would've seen Xbox Clubs become even more "Discord-like," in previous years. Those updates never materialized, however, as Discord's popularity continues to gain pace.

I wrote an article in the past about why Microsoft can't ignore the rise of Discord. It was always apparent to me that Discord would eventually join a larger tech company. It was merely a question of "who," and "when."

In that article, I wrote that Microsoft essentially had a choice to build up its own competing services or buy Discord outright. Arguably, the former hasn't happened. Xbox Live and Xbox Clubs haven't had meaningful upgrades in what feels like forever, and lag behind Discord and other instant-messaging services across PCs, and crucially, mobile phones, where Microsoft aims to deliver the majority of its growth for Xbox Game Pass in the near future.

Microsoft wholly missed the boat with streaming, failing to catch up to Amazon's Twitch with Mixer. Allowing Discord to go over to Amazon or another competitor could potentially end badly for Microsoft, particularly if, for example, Amazon sought to integrate Discord with Twitch and its home-grown PC game streaming service Amazon Luna.

"Social" is Microsoft's big blind spot

Microsoft's attempt to buy TikTok last summer should serve as an indicator that Microsoft knows the importance of social media. In some ways, social media is the glue that many of its services simply lack. Discord isn't necessarily full-blown social media in the same vein as YouTube or Twitter, but it is crucially social in a way that it builds communities, and re-engages users passionate about a whole range of topics and subjects. It's also faster, and more intuitive than Microsoft Teams, arguably making it more productive for smaller teams who don't need the more powerful enterprise-level integrations.

Microsoft's home-grown consumer-oriented social platforms have fallen too far behind their competitors to ever catch up at this point. Redmond has found success with LinkedIn and Microsoft Teams, but Discord's tech could become the glue that makes these services and features more social for regular users, thanks to superior fundamental services and an improved user experience. Whoever lands Discord will gain a big advantage over Microsoft's entire portfolio of services, if Microsoft is forced to continue using the dinosaurian Skype as its primary mode of comms delivery. This is one deal Microsoft can't afford to let slip away.

From the early days of MSN Messenger to Microsoft Teams, Redmond has attracted millions with its messaging services over the decades. That's come with a rollercoaster of highs and lows, acquisitions, and closures, with some services continuing to grow while others pass their prime. Here's a timeline of Microsoft's messaging milestones over the years and how they influence its broader productivity pledge.

MSN Messenger / Windows Live Messenger (1999)

MSN Messenger came at the advent of instant messaging, a simpler time in the earliest years of the internet, where modern social networks were merely concepts. It was one of the first platforms that clubbed together hundreds of millions of users, and for those who grew up in the era, it was a defining step that connected online communities through the turn of the century.

Microsoft debuted MSN Messenger in the late 90s, defined by text-based chat, and later supported by a growing suite of video calls, voice clips, emojis, games, and other services. It was a social hub in a new generation of computing and the first exposure to the modern internet for many. While the same applies to rivals at the time, AIM, ICQ, and Yahoo! Messenger, MSN remains a landmark service in early 2000s culture, toying with the ideas present in popular services today.

Feature-rich alternatives, coupled with the rise of a new generation of social networks, would see MSN (then known as Windows Live Messenger) shuttered over one decade later. But it was still a fundamental era in Microsoft's consumer business, connecting people across the world.

Xbox Live (2002)

While Xbox Live doesn't fit adjacent to your usual instant messaging apps, it still plays a crucial role in Microsoft's consumer services, as a continued success today. Microsoft sought to design an online gaming network to elevate its original Xbox console, enabling both remote multiplayer and broader social services intertwined with the Xbox experience.

While Xbox Live's earlier years saw it become a hotspot for Halo 2 trash-talking or downloading new content, it's steadily evolved into a larger network over the past decade. The service now spans the latest Xbox consoles, with a steadily growing presence on PCs and mobiles, and even touching select titles on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation devices. It's the backbone for Microsoft's gaming efforts, whether new video game releases or subscription services like Xbox Game Pass.

When it comes to messaging, Xbox Live is a cross-platform network, coupled with various social sharing features and gaming communities. While improvements can be made, especially if compared to rivals like Discord, it's a fundamental pillar to the new Xbox vision. That's seen it secure over 100 million monthly active users across all platforms, as of January 2021.

Office Communicator / Skype for Business (2007)

Microsoft launched Office Communicator 2007 as its enterprise-focused client for voice and video calls, which evolved into Microsoft Lync in time and settling on Skype for Business. This business-geared chat platform saw several forms over its decade on the market, first hooking messaging into Microsoft's Office suite, and over the years integrated into the Skype family.

Beyond its fundamental messaging and calling capabilities, this service aims to attack the business world. Real-time presence and integration into other Microsoft Office features meant the product was pitched as the one-stop solution for remote businesses. While Skype for Business remains, it's being phased out in favor of its Microsoft Teams platform.

Skype (2011)

Skype brought free and easy calling to the messes, with voice and video, accessible across all kinds of devices. It became a de facto app for VoIP, whether calling other Skype users or making international calls at affordable rates. It joined Microsoft during its peak in 2010, and while less prevalent now, it remains one of the company's renowned consumer brands. If you've had any online calls, there's a fair chance one was on Skype.

Skype gained its name with its most fundamental features, with voice and video calling, coupled with robust messaging services. It also served as Microsoft's successor to its own MSN Messenger, seeing hundreds of millions of users in its lifetime.

Today, it's not the same powerhouse, only an alternative to Zoom, which dominates through this new era of remote work and communications. It generally failed to innovate around a shifting landscape, with mindshare also on the decline. Skype remains popular, with usage up throughout the pandemic, but still a fraction of its heyday.

GroupMe (2011)

GroupMe first launched back in 2010, but one year later found itself under the Skype family, and by extension, under Microsoft's watch. This mobile messenger has flown under the radar for many in recent years, geared to group and direct messaging, with a relatively clutter-free interface. And while it's seen few updates as of late, GroupMe is still one of the company's top messaging services.

During its early days, GroupMe was poised to be a viable alternative to apps like Telegram and WhatsApp, but its seen little love from Microsoft. It still has its userbase, including college students, especially in the U.S., who utilize its group features for classroom collaboration.

Microsoft Teams (2017)

Microsoft Teams has emerged as the latest service changing up remote working. It's a virtual workspace that hosts all things communication, from open workspaces, chats with colleagues to online meetings. It's pitched as the central hub for the modern teams, with deep integration with Microsoft services.

Teams takes a fresh approach compared to past solutions, with better considerations around how people and companies operate remotely. It's not just exclusive to the business world through developments made to cater to education and consumer audiences, as Microsoft Teams sees record growth.

The full Microsoft 365 suite positions Teams as a critical tool to replace Skype for Business and push other business tools into the background. New features arrive regularly to expand the platform, with daily users in the hundreds of millions. It continues to reinvent the workplace alongside rivals like Slack, which proves increasingly crucial in the current world.

Messaging apps are everywhere. Get more out of yours with these thoughts, tips, and guides.

• Telegram on PC
• Microsoft's Skype snafu
• Instagram's bigger than you think
• Microsoft's messaging failures and successes
• Do Slack and Teams count as "messaging"?
• RCS vs. SMS vs. iMessage
• Google's messaging failures
• How to switch your family to a new service
• Guilded is the Discord alternative you didn't know you needed
• Telegram vs. Signal vs. WhatsApp

With the recent uptick in people wanting to move away from WhatsApp, you may have heard about several other chat platforms such as Telegram or Signal being viable alternatives for privacy-conscious people. Interestingly, and unsurprisingly, one such platform you didn't hear about as a best alternative to WhatsApp is Skype, but why is that?

Skype used to be the premier chat service on the internet. At one point, it had accumulated over 330 million users in its heyday, but in 2021, it's barely a footnote in the history of chat services. Skype still exists and is even built-in to Windows 10, which serves over one billion people every day. Unfortunately, Microsoft has done extraordinarily little to take advantage of Skype's potential audience.

The same conversation about Skype has been had regarding the pandemic. When the likes of Zoom, FaceTime, and Microsoft Teams usage skyrocketed as more of us were stuck at home, Skype was left out in the cold. No one was using Skype to communicate with friends and family, even though Microsoft quickly added a neat feature that made it super easy to create video calls with friends.

From a privacy perspective, Skype chats and video calls and encrypted end-to-end means Microsoft cannot view the contents of your conversations. I think Skype has fallen off the wagon because Microsoft is preoccupied with pushing Microsoft Teams to everyone and anyone who will take it. Skype is an afterthought at this point, and it's a real shame.

What doesn't help is that the desktop application is terrible. Last year, Microsoft updated Skype from a UWP app to an Electron app, which killed all Windows 10 integrations and made it a total dog to run thanks to Electron's terrible performance. I used to have Skype running in the background all the time when it was a UWP app, but now I have it set to close whenever I'm not using it because it takes up so much RAM.

This change came after several rebuilds of Skype on Windows 10 in the last five years. It feels like there's no one leading the Skype team because the amount of client rebuilds Windows 10 has received is outrageous. Skype was originally split into two apps, then converged into one UWP app, which was later rebuilt as a React Native app, before being replaced with a terrible Win32 electron app.

On phones, Skype has been an unreliable mess for a while. I frequently never get notifications when people message me, which is beyond frustrating. And it's not just me, because I'll often message people on Skype and have it be days before they get back to me, always with the same response: "Sorry, Skype didn't ping me about this."

Skype could have been Microsoft's iMessage if it handled the platform right, but it didn't. Skype's mismanagement and Windows 10's rudderless leadership has led to Skype and Windows failing into irrelevancy in the eyes of consumers, and it's a real shame. Luckily, with Windows 10, Microsoft is expected to bring back some wow to the platform later this year, but the same can't be said for Skype.

The reality of the situation is that Microsoft is now pushing Teams as a replacement for Skype. Teams is based on the same tech as Skype, after all, and Microsoft is already seeing enormous success in the enterprise sector, with Teams usage essentially skyrocketing. Now, Microsoft needs to nail the consumer market with Teams, which it's trying, but its Teams Consumer efforts have gotten off to a slow start.

What are your thoughts on Skype? Let us know in the comments.

Messaging apps are everywhere. Get more out of yours with these thoughts, tips, and guides.

• Telegram on PC
• Microsoft's Skype snafu
• Instagram's bigger than you think
• Microsoft's messaging failures and successes
• Do Slack and Teams count as "messaging"?
• RCS vs. SMS vs. iMessage
• Google's messaging failures
• How to switch your family to a new service
• Guilded is the Discord alternative you didn't know you needed
• Telegram vs. Signal vs. WhatsApp

What you need to know

• Skype Insiders have updates rolling out across several platforms.
• One update improves Skype by updating to Electron 11.
• The update also includes a few fixes for Skype.

Microsoft is rolling out updates to Skype Insiders on several platforms. The latest Insider build brings Skype to version 8.69.76.49. It improves Skype clients powered by Electron by updating to Electron 11 and also adds some new features.

Electron 11 rolled out last November and includes several improvements. Most notably for Skype, the move to Electron 11 will improve overall performance.

Here's everything that's new and fixed in Skype version 8.69.76.49:

What's New? 

• Introducing the last message avatar in a small circle over the group chat icon so you can easily see who wrote the last message. If you would like to turn it on/off, just go to the appearance settings.
• Adding support for in-client Skype Number purchases on iOS. Currently available for US & UK Skype Numbers.
• Updating to Electron 11 to improve the overall performance and fix some bugs caused previous Electron version.
• Improved Skype for Windows startup performance
• iOS 13 notifications improvements

What's fixed?

• Issues with updating Skype on macOS Big Sur
• Double badge count in the taskbar icon
• Issues with buying Skype credit / subscription

In addition to the new features and improvements, the latest Insider build of Skype fixes some issues, including the annoying issue that caused double badge counts in the app's taskbar icon.

If you aren't already a Skype Insider but would like to be, Microsoft has a page with links to become an Insider on every supported platform.

What you need to know

• Skype for Business Online is closing down on July 31.
• Microsoft recommends users switch over to Microsoft Teams.

18 months ago, Microsoft announced that Skype for Business Online would be closing down on July 31, 2021. This week, the company has issued a warning (via ZDNet) to customers that they now only have six months to migrate over to Microsoft Teams, as Skype for Business Online crawls closer to its final day.

Microsoft Teams replaces Skype for Business, so it's no surprise that Microsoft wants users to move over to the newer platform. Microsoft's all-in on Teams these days, being a hugely successful product for the company. This week's warning is for customers who are yet to start or have only just started migrating to Teams, as there's now not long left.

If you're a business still using Skype for Business Online, now is the time to start thinking about a migration plan to move your team over to Microsoft Teams. Microsoft has plenty of resources that can help get you started, many of which you can find here.

In the meantime, have you or your organization started the move to Microsoft Teams from Skype for Business Online? Let us know in the comments.

What you need to know

• The Skype Twitter account shared a post discussing how the service respects people's privacy.
• The post highlights that Skype does not sell personal private data to third parties.
• Microsoft does, however, use data obtained from third parties.

The Skype Twitter account recently tried to ride the wave of WhatsApp hate. WhatsApp came under fire after the service changed its privacy policies. With many people on the hunt for the best WhatsApp alternatives, Skype tried to draw in some more people. Unfortunately for the Skype team, they didn't get the response they were likely hoping for.

In addition to the expected internet trolling of people bashing Skype, discussing other services, and calling Skype a fossil, people also noticed something about Skype's tweet. ZDNet highlights that within the tweet, Skype included a link to its Microsoft privacy statement that clearly states that Skype uses data that is obtained from third parties.

Under the section "How we use personal data,", Microsoft's privacy policy states (emphasis added):

Microsoft uses the data we collect to provide you with rich, interactive experiences. In particular, we use data to:

• Provide our products, which includes updating, securing, and troubleshooting, as well as providing support. It also includes sharing data, when it is required to provide the service or carry out the transactions you request.
• Improve and develop our products.
• Personalize our products and make recommendations.
• Advertise and market to you, which includes sending promotional communications, targeting advertising, and presenting you with relevant offers.
• We also use the data to operate our business, which includes analyzing our performance, meeting our legal obligations, developing our workforce, and doing research.

In carrying out these purposes, we combine data we collect from different contexts (for example, from your use of two Microsoft products) or obtain from third parties to give you a more seamless, consistent, and personalized experience, to make informed business decisions, and for other legitimate purposes.

To their credit, Microsoft's Skype does not sell personal data to third parties, so Skype's tweet is accurate. The company uses the data it collects on its own to improve Microsoft services. The company does, however, use data collected from third parties, so it isn't completely clean of third-party data collection.

What you need to know

• Skype now supports Together Mode in video calls.
• Together Mode is a popular feature from Microsoft Teams.
• The same update that brings Together Mode also brings new backgrounds and other new features.

Skype recently received an update that brings it to version 8.67. The update brings support for Together Mode, a great feature that's also available on Microsoft Teams. Together Mode allows you to have everyone in a meeting appear as if they were in a single room.

The same update also adds Large Grid Mode, which lets you have more people on screen during a call at once. Here's everything that's new in the update, as found in its release notes:

Skype for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Web

• Hanging out with the cool kids: We've introduced Together Mode to give everyone in your call the best seat in the house. And as if that wasn't enough, we've added Large Grid Mode so you can see everyone's video stream all at once. Learn more about switching views in a Skype video call
• Let me add you: This version of Skype includes the option to add someone to an ongoing Skype call by their phone number as well as via Skype. Learn more about calling in Skype.
• What's that behind you?: We've added more predefined backgrounds and more background categories, and we're adding more all the time. Learn more about changing your background in Skype.
• Meet Now, Right Now: Meet Now is integrated in Windows 10, so you can meet with a simple click. Learn more about Meet Now
• Bug fixes and stability improvements. Bugs? Stomped. Improvements? Made. Done.

Skype for Android

• Let me add you: This version of Skype includes the option to add someone to an ongoing Skype call by their phone number as well as via Skype. Learn more about calling in Skype.
• So many bubbles: The latest version of Skype includes support for Chat Bubbles, Priority Conversations, and Conversation Space on Android.
• That's Fire: Good news if you're on an Amazon Kindle Fire: you're getting a new, updated version of Skype. Learn more about Skype versions.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements. Bugs? Stomped. Improvements? Made. Done.

The new features for Skype are rolling out gradually, so you might not see them right away.

What you need to know

• 4tiitoo will work with the Tobii Eye Tracker 5L to improve productivity and reduce mouse usage.
• 4tiitoo allows people to control their computers by looking at their screens.
• Tobii creates many popular eye-tracking pieces of technology, including the Tobii Eye Tracker 5L.

Tobii, a popular maker of eye-tracking technology, and 4tiitoo (pronounced forty-two) announced a new way that people can become more productive by using technology from both companies. 4tiitoo will work with the Tobii Eye Tracker 5L, which will allow people to control their PCs with eye-tracking and reduce how much they need to use their mouse.

Many recognize eye tracking as a technology that provides greater accessibility to computing. Our senior editor Zac Bowden wrote an entire article using eye tracking in 2017. Windows 10 also supports eye tracking in several ways.

But this new announcement from Tobii and 4tiitoo isn't about accessibility options; it focuses on productivity. You can use technology from both companies to maintain better eye contact during calls and to quickly control parts of your PC with your eyes.

Tore Meyer, managing director of 4tiitoo, states,

The Tobii Eye Tracker 5L will work with 4tiitoo's business software, NUIA Full Focus, and NUIA Productivity+. With NUIA Full Focus, people can glance at a relevant portion of their screen and then have it duplicated and placed into a spot closer to their webcam. As a result, you can look through content on your screen without having to look far away from your webcam. NUIA Productivity+ lets you use Gaze input for mouse and keyboard usage. You can use it to navigate applications without having to reach for your mouse or click around a screen.

NUIA Full Focus works with many popular video conferencing platforms, including Teams, Slack, Zoom, and Google Meet.

What you need to know

• Skype 8.66 is now available.
• The update brings support for up to 100 people in Skype calls.
• The update also includes several fixes.

Skype 8.66 is now generally available. The latest update to Skype brings support for up to 100 participants within calls. It also includes several bug fixes and stability improvements.

Here is the complete changelog for the update, as found on a Microsoft Answers post:

• It's a big room: Now you can have those big conversations, because Skype calls now support up to 100 participants. Learn more about making a Skype call.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements. We've moved some bugs to a nice farm upstate and made some improvements.

The Microsoft Answers post lists different OS versions in two separate groups, but the changes for all versions of Skype are the same. Support for up to 100 participants in calls and bug fixes are rolling out to Skype on Windows, Mac, Linux, the Web, Android, iPhone, and iPad.

The previous limit for Skype was 50 participants per call. Microsoft started testing a 100 person limit a few weeks ago to Skype Insiders and has now increased the limit for everyone.

With more people working and studying from home, it's always good to have an option to have more people on the call.

What you need to know

• Skype Insider Preview now supports up to 100 participants within a call.
• The previous limit was 50 people within a single call.
• The update brings Skype to version 8.66 and also includes a few fixes.

Skype Insider Preview now supports up to 100 participants within calls. The update doubles the previous limit of 50, making it easier to have large groups of people within a call. The update brings Skype to Insider build 8.66 and also includes some fixes.

With more people working from home and circles of friends and family having to communicate digitally, increasing the participant limit of calls is a welcome change. A limit of 100 people should be more than enough for many groups.

Here's the complete changelog as outlined by Microsoft:

What's New? 

• Up to 100 participants in the call! We have increased the limit for group calls from 50 to 100 participants!

What's fixed?

• The language settings automatically changed to English.
• Favorite contacts disappeared from contact list on Windows.
• Signing out was freezing the app on Android.
• Uploading/downloading files on Android was not fully working.

The build should roll out to insiders over the next couple of days. Microsoft explains that if you don't see the update right away that you should check back again at a later time.

What you need to know

• Skype version 8.65 is rolling out to Insiders.
• The update adds hand raise support and several other handy features
• The update also includes several bug fixes.

Microsoft is rolling out Skype version 8.65 to Insiders. The update brings hand raise support, the ability to blur backgrounds for Android users, and several other handy features. The update also includes several bug fixes.

Here's the complete changelog as outlined by Microsoft:

Raise hand! Do you want to participate more in the discussion, but you don't want to interrupt the current speaker? Just raise your hand. Very handy for classroom meetings, but you can also use it as a simple voting mechanism.

Background Blur for Android. We are expanding this amazing feature also for Android users.

New message reaction picker! Missing some reactions? Just customize your reaction picker and add or remove any reactions you want.

Smart suggestions for iOS. We have added direct share support to your iOS devices so you can share text, photos, videos and files with your frequent Skype contacts.

Meet Now support for Safari. Join Meet Now calls via Safari on Mac. You don't need to download the Skype app first if you want to join as a guest.

Join Meet Now calls easily. If Skype is already installed, you can just join the meeting by pasting the meeting URL/meeting ID into Skype.

Supporting CallTo and Tel protocols for Windows and Mac.

We have also updated Skype on Amazon Kindle Fire.

It's worth noting that some of these features, such as the customizable reaction picker, rolled out with previous versions of Skype, so some of these features listed in Microsoft's change log might not be brand new.

What you need to know

• Skype version 8.64 is rolling out to all platforms.
• The update allows you to customize the reaction picker.
• The update also includes several bug fixes.

Microsoft is rolling out an update to Skype that brings it to version 8.64. The update allows you to customize the reaction picker, making it easy to pick your favorite emoji for quick sharing. The update is available on all major platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, the Web, Android, iPhone, and iPad.

Here's the complete changelog as outlined by Microsoft:

Skype for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Web

• There's no reaction for what I am feeling: Yes, there is. You can now customize the reaction picker in Skype, so the perfect reaction is always on hand. Learn more about the reaction picker.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements. We've changed around some keyboard shortcuts to fix a bug between Skype and Terminal, plus made a few other general improvements.
• Skype for Android, iPhone, and iPad

Skype for Android, iPhone, and iPad

• There's no reaction for what I am feeling: Yes, there is. You can now customize the reaction picker in Skype, so the perfect reaction is always on hand. Learn more about the reaction picker.
• Share more, faster: With improvements to the Share tray in iOS, it's now easier to share directly to your Skype contacts.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements. We chased out some bugs with a rake, then we cleaned the place up a bit.

In addition to allowing you to customize the reaction picker, the update allows people on iOS to utilize the Share tray on iOS. It also comes with several bug fixes and stability improvements.

What you need to know

• A video from The Late Late Show with James Corden playfully mocks Skype.
• The video has a fake team of Skype staff to discuss why the app hasn't done better recently.
• Skype has lost significant ground to Zoom and other apps during the pandemic in the eyes of the public.

While more people are at home than ever, Microsoft's Skype hasn't become the de facto way that people communicate over the web. A new video from The Late Late Show with James Corden sarcastically asks, "What the Hell Happened to Skype?!"

The sketch has a group of fake Skype staff members jumping on a video call to discuss how the app lost out to services like Zoom. Rainn Wilson plays the role of Skype CEO, and Anthony Ramos plays Skype employee "Trevor."

At one point in the video, the faux Skype group tries to come up with ways to make Skype better than Zoom. Funnily enough, they actually list several features that Skype already has, including custom backgrounds, recording calls, and chatting with text.

Of course, having the mentioned features doesn't take away from the point of the video. If anything, it strengthens it because it means that Microsoft hasn't done a good job sharing Skype's features with general users.