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.
