Skype Video Messages come to Apple's iOS, OS X

Skype on Monday rolled out its new video messaging functionality for a number of platforms, including Apple's iOS and Mac, allowing users the ability to send up to three minutes of prerecorded video for free.

Skype Video Messages are now available to users on Macs and iOS devices, as well as Android and BlackBerry handsets, and Windows PCs, Microsoft said. Support for Microsoft's own Windows Phone was not announced.

Prior to the launch, Skype Video Messages were available in beta form to paid subscribers. As of Monday, the ability to send and receive an unlimited amount of prerecorded messages is now available to all users.

With Video Messages, users can send clips of what's happening near them to their friends, or even leave a quick voicemail-style message. These videos then wait in the recipient's inbox until they decide to watch them.

Microsoft also provided the following series of steps, explaining how users can record a Skype Video Message:

• First, tap the "video message" button.
• Next, tap the record button to capture your video message.
• You can record a message of up to three minutes, which can be previewed prior to sending. If you'd like to, you can delete and re-record until you are completely happy with it.
• When you are ready, simply click on the envelope icon to send your video message to the recipient.

Competing messaging apps such as Kik, WhatsApp Messenger and Viber have already offered similar video messaging functionality. In addition, Facebook’s Instagram is rumored to release their own video messaging service as soon as this week.