Roger Fingas
Microsoft on Thursday released major updates of its Skype apps for iPhone and iPad, redesigning their interfaces for better ease-of-use and more visual appeal, while giving iPad users access to options like location sharing and interactive notifications.
Both apps have been given a new Recents tab, as well as a search tool, making it simpler to track down people, groups, or conversations. Microsoft has also improved switching between call and chat interfaces, which can be helpful for sharing content mid-conversation.
New gesture commands include swiping on a contact to make a call, or swiping on a message chain to delete or respond to it.
The iPad app builds in a number of additional improvements, above all location sharing, interactive notifications, and options for starting groups and chats. Sending and receiving photos should be simpler, and users can now import contacts from their iOS address book.
The iPhone and iPad apps are separate downloads, but are both free and run on devices with iOS 7 or later.
Andrew O'Hara
Amber Neely
Oliver Haslam
Malcolm Owen
Christine McKee
Charles Martin
9 Comments
About time! The old iPad interface was LOUSY!
Off topic - AI should allow posters to categorize their comments as negative, neutral, positive or troll. They should also allow everyone else to vote on the posts of others using the same 4 categories - and readers of course should be able to apply a filter based on those categories so that they can just focus on positive messages or at least filter out trolls. It may not be an extremely useful feature, but I for one think it would be fun. I'm not a big Skype user but the new interface sounds like it was much needed! Looking forward to giving it a try!
[quote name="tenly" url="/t/188012/microsoft-updates-skype-iphone-ipad-apps-with-overhauled-interfaces-more#post_2770615"]Off topic - AI should allow posters to categorize their comments as negative, neutral, positive or troll. They should also allow everyone else to vote on the posts of others using the same 4 categories - and readers of course should be able to apply a filter based on those categories so that they can just focus on positive messages or at least filter out trolls. It may not be an extremely useful feature, but I for one think it would be fun. I'm not a big Skype user but the new interface sounds like it was much needed! Looking forward to giving it a try![/quote] That's a good idea but, you know they won't be honest.
I really appreciate the genuinely multi-platform attributes of Skype. I am able to communicate with a larger group of people around the world. Also, the fact that I can videoconference with up to 25 people, with an education license, is quite impressive (although, I have not tried that many at a time). Networked products are only as useful as how many people you can get into that network. Using that criterion, FaceTime is a nice-to-have product with primarily family-use compatibility (even there, my 100% Apple hardware-based family often reverts to Skype by default because of its familiarity). Skype is a must-have product for me.
Sorry, but, I have zero confidence in security using Skype since MSFT bought it. Any recommendations for VOIP with trustworthy encryption and security. I need Mac-to-PC capabilities.