Skype Classic to be retired on September 1, replaced with Skype version 8.0
All Skype desktop users will have to update to version 8.0 by September 1.

Microsoft today announced (opens in new tab) that it will retire "Skype Classic" for desktop (version 7.0) on September 1. In its place, all Skype users will be forced to upgrade to version 8.0 (opens in new tab) by that date to continue using Skype for dekstop.
From Microsoft:
As we roll out improvements, there comes a time when we must shut down older services and application versions. This is done to ensure that all customers have the best possible Skype experience, and that there are no quality or reliability issues resulting from old technology and new technology interoperating. We know change can be hard, so we're working to make the update as simple as possible.
Skype version 8.0 is revamped with several new features, and Microsoft has more planned for future releases. The new features include the ability to add reactions to messages, @mentions, and a chat media gallery. You can also now drag and drop files up to 300MB in size to share them with friends and contacts.
This version of Skype is also rolling out on iPad starting today, with a similar set of new features in tow.
As for Skype's future, Microsoft offered a peek at several more features it is cooking up. The most notable of these is call recording, which lets you capture entire calls at any time. Read receipts are also in the works, as are end-to-end encrypted conversations.
If you're using an older version of Skype, you should be prompted to update to version 8.0 before the September 1 deadline arrives. Otherwise, you can download the latest version of Skype from Microsoft now.
See at Microsoft (opens in new tab)
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Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl.
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I don't get it. I'm running Skype with a version number beginning with 12.xxxx already...
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12.xxx it's the UWP app, not Desktop app
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And the same app, in UWP form, is version 14.
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Skype slowly dying, year by year. This new version on desktop is so heavy, it's unreal. The Android and iOS versions otherwise fly.
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I disagree, it's MUCH faster on my machine than legacy. it looks better, the video quality is clearer some how, but most importantly unlike the UWP, I can have a simplified view of contacts online, and I can keep the window minimized and get notifications from action center. From using it, it has the stuff I like about UWP with Legacy. In the future they should just replace UWP with this, and make this the only skype app (but deploy it AS a new UWP, for S modes)