In July, Microsoft announced its plan to retire Skype Classic (version 7) on September 1, and start shifting users to the more modern Skype version 8.0. After some backlash from Skype Classic users, however, Microsoft has opted to backtrack on that plan to address "customer feedback."
In a post on the Microsoft Answers forum where Microsoft was soliciting feedback on the move, the company posted an update, stating that it is extending support for Skype 7 "for some time" (via Thurrott). From the post:
Based on customer feedback, we are extending support for Skype 7 (Skype classic) for some time. Our customers can continue to use Skype classic until then.
Thanks for all your comments - we are listening. We are working to bring all the features you've asked for into Skype 8.
Watch this space.
The update is (likely purposefuly) vague on how long we can expect Skype Classic to remain supported, but one thing is clear: fans of Skype 7 can breathe a sigh of relief for the foreseeable future.
Still, don't expect the classic app to stick around forever. Microsoft is keen to get users to move to version 8.0, and they've made an aggressive bid to get people to upgrade over the weeks since the original retirement announcement was made. However, once Microsoft settles on a new retirement date, hopefully it has made some progress in addressing any lingering features that haven't made their way to Skype 8.0 just yet.
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