Skype for Android finally lets you access your phone contacts from the dialpad.

The days when Skype was the de-facto messaging and video app are long gone with the advent of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, but that's not stopping Microsoft from bringing new features to catch up with the fierce competition. In an update published today, the software giant is finally letting users access their phone contacts within Skype through the app's dialpad. Start typing a phone number and Skype will retrieve a matching number and name from your device's contacts.

This update also includes the usual stability and performance improvements.

If you still Skype, grab the update in Google Play Store on your Android device.

Skype will now appear as an option when tapping a phone number on your device.

Better late than never goes the saying and that is what I'm tempted to say about Skype for Android which finally supports Android call intents. In Android, an intent is what allows an app to use another app component to achieve a task. How does that apply to Skype and particularly this update? 

Microsoft updated Skype for Android with the ability to initiate a call by tapping a phone number in a browser or inside an app. From now on, Skype will be among the apps listed when you tap a phone number alongside other apps installed on your Android device. Similar to when you tap on an email address and your device will show all available email apps for you to choose from which app and account you want to send your email. 

This is a great feature provided you have Skype credits. In order to make calls to landline or mobile phones from Skype, you must buy credits to do so and $10 is the cheapest value you can buy; which is quite cheap.

This update also includes the usual bug fixes and other improvements. Download/update Skype in Google Play Store.

Google Duo now lets you leave 30 seconds video messages when families & friends miss your calls.

I really would like to use Google Duo, really. What's preventing me from doing so is that nobody around me uses it, absolutely nobody. I live in an environment dominated by WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and to a lesser extent, Skype. To make things worse, I've asked ten 'normal users' about Google Duo and they had no idea what it was. And I think Google knows about this and the company keeps trying by adding new features to Google Duo in the hope of getting users to jump ship.

In an update that is currently rolling out, Google Duo users will be able to leave 30-seconds video messages in case the person they're calling does not pick up. "If the person you’re calling declines or misses your call, you can record up to 30 seconds of a video (or voice) message. Once you’re happy with your message, you can send it to your friend or family member, who will receive it in the Duo app." À la Snapchat, the videos will disappear "within a day after you first watch them." However, Google will let you save your preferred videos to your device if you choose to. These video messages are secure and end-to-end encrypted. No worry here if you care about your privacy.

So that's it for this Google Duo update. Check it out in Google Play store.

Source: Google

Microsoft to roll out Skype to Android low-end devices in the next few days.

Microsoft announced today that they will be rolling out a version of Skype for devices running on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich to 5.1 Lollipop. According to the latest statistics, Android 4.0.3 still has 0.5% market share, while KitKat and Lollipop have 12.8 and 5.7 respectively. With this update, Microsoft is targeting approximately 22% of the Android market.

The update is not available just yet but will start rolling out in the next few days.  It is, however, available to those who choose to join the Skype Insiders Program.

Microsoft said in a blog post that this optimized version of Skype "is lighter on both disk and memory consumption, allowing for greater speed and better audio and video quality on lower-end Android devices, as well as increased performance in challenging network conditions."

Source: Microsoft

Google Store: Skype Lite

Skype lets users take snapshots during calls and 'view photos together'.

Skype for Android has been updated with two new features today. I'm not sure what to think about them, but one thing is sure, they're no motivation to make Skype my main messaging and video calls app again. If you're a heavy Skype user, you might find them useful.

Skype will now let users take snapshots instantly during video calls and share them with the person they're chatting with. Microsoft says this feature "instantly capture the best moments from any call and share them...". To do that, simply tap the new camera button at the bottom left corner. The photo will then appear in the chat and can be saved to the local device. Just keep an eye and your thumb ready for that best moment.

The other feature is along the same line in that it lets users "view photos together." during a Skype call. Users can browse their photo gallery and share their favorite photos with friends.

Both new features will work only if all parties upgrade to the latest version of Skype. The latter can be downloaded in the Play Store.

Skype for Android gets improved audio control.

Since the complete redesign of Skype last year, Microsoft has been gradually adding back missing features. I'm sure Skype users will remember when a simple feature like chat presence was missing. Thankfully, Microsoft has been listening to users' feedback and working on improving Skype.

Today Microsoft has published another update in the Play store that improves Skype's audio control.

Here's what's new:

- Improved audio control - easily switch between your earpiece, speaker, wired or Bluetooth device during a call.

Get the update in Google Play Store.

New Skype update for Android lets you change app language and share panoramic photos.

Skype for Android picked up an interesting update today, with Microsoft now letting users switch languages within the app settings. By default, Skype will use the default language that users initially chose for their phone and with this update, they will be able to select from an extensive list of language, independent of the phone’s default language. 

As stated above, users can make the change in the app settings by tapping their avatar at the top, then the gear icon at the top right corner of the screen. Scroll down to language and select one from the list. This feature is nicely implemented as it does not require a restart of the app. Should you want to revert to the default system language, go back to the list and tap the first option, which in English is “Reset to system language”.

This update also let users share panoramic photos with friends via chat or highlights and contains the usual performance and reliability improvements.

Head over to Google Play Store to download this update.

Switch between light and dark theme in Skype for Android.

I hope you made peace with the new skype. The new Snapchat-inspired design of Skype has provoked a kind-of over-reaction from users. At least, this is what I think because I like it for the simple reason that I grew tired of the Skype design of old. Sure Microsoft made mistakes, but well, at least they are listening. Take the new ‘activity indicators’ for example. Microsoft omitted this feature in the new release. Now, with this update, users will be able to see who’s currently active in chat list again. And there’s more.

When Microsoft redesigned Skype, it was all white. Not a wise choice knowing that a totally white screen puts pressure on the battery and on the eyes. So Microsoft added new themes where users will be able to switch between light and dark theme. This feature is available in the settings. To get to it, tap your profile picture, then the settings icon at the top right of the screen. Scroll down to theme and tap the Light or Dark buttons according to the preference. I always switch to a dark theme in apps when I can and Skype is no exception. I’m not sure that saves battery, but it does make it easy on my eyes. In case you’re wondering, I have no problems with my eyes. 

So, make sure you download Skype on your Android device via the Google Play Store to take advantage of these new features. I nearly forgot, Skype will also let you reorder your chats by recent, unread or active.

Share a personalized holiday message with Skype for Android.

The holidays season is almost upon us and I assume we're all looking for ways to share the festive mood with our loved ones. While there are dedicated sites to send our wishes with e-cards, we must not forget that we also have apps to do that and in most cases, apps that already installed on our phones. With that in mind, Skype for Android has been updated to allow you to send a video message to people you care from your phone at any time. 

In the update published this week, Skype added a snowflake themed holiday card to share a personalized messaged to your Skype contacts. Simply update from the store using the link at the bottom of this post. Then start Skype and you will see a new "+" button labeled "Holiday card". Tap on it and Skype will launch video with falling snowflakes. Record your video and share it with your loved ones. You can use both the front and back camera. A nice and easy way to wish your loved ones a happy holiday.

The update also lets you mention (@mention) your contacts and bots in a group chat. Microsoft also fixed a sign inn issue for users with multiple accounts.

Check out the update in Google Play Store and Happy Holidays.

Microsoft adds "schedule a call" and ability to open docs in Office to Skype for Android.

If you are among those who wanted the ability to send and receive documents in Skype, Microsoft has made it possible to open such files directly in the Skype app for Android, provided you have the Microsoft Office apps installed on your device. In case you don't, you will be prompted to download them.

Microsoft is also letting Android users schedule Skype calls within the app simply by selecting a contact and clicking "schedule a call" in the menu to add to Outlook Calendar. Microsoft states in the change log that another calendar app can be used.

Download the free update in Google Play store.

Microsoft updates Skype for Business for Android with simplified dashboard and more.

Formerly Lync 2013, Skype for Business for Android has been updated today to version 6.0.0.5. This update brings some new features and improvements that should appeal to Android pro users.

See the full change log below:

• Intuitive and familiar Skype UI: simplified dashboard and enhanced In-Call and In-Meeting experiences.
• Full-screen video and larger buttons for meeting controls.
• Search your contacts by name, email or phone number.
• Support for Active Directory Authentication Library based multi-factor authentication.
• Bug fixes.

Do you use Skype for Business? Download the update in the Play store.

Skype for Android gets new toolbar to delete, mute, mark conversations as read and more.

There's one thing that Skype was not particularly good at and that was saving videos shared with us by family members or friends. Those videos would remain in the conversation thread until deleted. The good news is that Skype has solved this problem with an update that was released earlier today. A simple tap is all that is needed to save the video to the phone's photo gallery and this works for videos that you've received and videos that you recorded. Microsoft did not stop there and now lets users share photos from the gallery to a Skype group conversation, finally.

Another interesting feature in this update is the ability to mute, delete and mark conversations as read. Nothing really new here except that this can now be done by doing a long tap on contacts or chat under the Recent tab that will pull a new toolbar with these tools for quick access.

Search is also made better allowing users to search conversations by content in addition to contacts and group names.

This update is available now in Google Play store.

Pushbullet: Share multiple files & reply to Kik and Skype notifications on your computer.

It's only last week that Pushbullet pushed out an important update that made it play well with Android 6.0, along with some nice additions that made the app take advantage of Android features like Direct Share. Fast forward to today and Play Store notified me of another update, and this one is awesome.

While Pushbullet is excellent at sharing files between my devices, it also has its limitations. Fortunately, the brilliant guys behind this brilliant app still find ways to improve users' experience. One of those limitations is the fact that Pushbullet was only able to share single file, but that was yesterday.  Today's update let's users share multiple files provided they don't exceed the default 25MB per file. This is just amazing and there's more.

Besides file sharing, Pushbullet is also capable of handling message notifications and replies. Before this update, Pushbullet handled the following messaging platform only: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Hangouts, Line, Telegram, GroupMe, BBM, and Viber. Today, Pushbullet added support for Kik and Skype, giving us users the ability to reply to messages from these platforms right in Pushbullet. 

This update contains even  more features. Just head over to Google Play Store to download the update. You may want to check out the blog post on Pushbullet for details.

Microsoft brings Skype to Android Wear.

If you own an Android Wear watch and use Skype on your phone, check out Microsoft's latest update for Skype. The Redmond-based software giant has indeed added support for Android Wear in its latest iteration of Skype for Android which will let you perform some basic tasks on your wrist without having to fetch for your phone inn your pocket, assuming that's where you keep your phone.

The first item in the change log is the reception of message notifications and view the message on the watch. Of course, Microsoft lets you reply to messages by speaking to your wrist and if you're not comfortable with that, you can choose a pre-written response or simply respond with emojis.

The third item in the change log is about calls. Here again, Microsoft brings the basic with the ability to accept and reject calls, mute ongoing conversations and hang up on your Android Wear device.

The final item is about Skype Mojis to send "short clips fro your favorite movies and TV shows in a Skype chat. This new feature seems to be an update for the Skype Android app itself.

This Skype update is available in Google Play Store.

Assign ringtones to contacts and forward photos in new Skype 5.10 for Android.

Skype picked up an update today that will let users assign a ringtone to contact, similar to contacts on a phone, Skype users will also be able to identify the caller if they happen to be away from their Android device. Assigning a ringtone to a contact is quite straight forward. Tap the lower right in a conversation and select "Ringtone options" then "Set custom ringtone" and browse your phone ringtone repertoire. And there is more.

Skype has made it very easy to share photos with friends and family who are not in the conversation. Say you shared a photo with your Skype friend during a conversation. You then say to yourself that it's a photo worth sharing with someone else not in the conversation. A simple tap and hold will bring up a contextual menu from which you will be able to forward your photo without ending your conversation or having to wait for the latter to end.

Finally, this update which also includes the usual fixes and improvements, includes the ability to change the color of "avatars for group chats so you can easily tell one conversation from another".

Head into the Google Play Store to download Skype 5.10 for Android.

Source: Skype

Video Messaging: Get creative with 8 new Skype Qik live effects.

Skype Qik - pronounced quick - is Skype's second app that is cross platform, just like it's big brother Skype. But Skype Qik still plays in the messaging category albeit exclusively video. It can be compared to Instagram in that Qik lets you capture moments by shooting videos, add predefined effects to them and share with friends or groups of friends. Besides being a video messenger app, Skype Qik is really good at making your videos a great piece of art.  And it keeps getting better at that.

In the most recent update, Skype Qik got 8 new live effects. Users will be able to pick the effects they want while shooting the videos, hence the live effects. Simply swipe over the viewfinder to scroll through the fun effects before sharing the masterpiece with friends.

Check out the update in Google Play store. 

New sticker packs and improved video call experience in Hangouts update.

I often wonder how many users actively use Hangouts for video calls. Google did not communicate the numbers and when Google does not brag about numbers, it must not be enough to their liking. I have hangouts installed, thus contributing to the 500 million downloads. That number does not reflect the number of active users. Personally, I use Skype because everyone I know use it. The only people I kind-of know who uses Hangouts are tech sites like PocketNow.

Users of Hangouts will be glad to learn about an update that includes new sticker packs. Among useful features is the ability to see the last time your contacts were online. Another update lets you share your location with your friends should they ask. Finally, the update includes the usual bug fixes.

What's new:

• New sticker packs!
• See the last time your contacts were online
• When friends ask where you are, share your location with one click using smart sharing suggestions
• Improved video cal experience and miscellaneous bug fixes.

Source: Google Play store

Skype Qik now lets you send message to another conversation; resend Qik SMS invite.

I have never been a fan of Snapchat, so it's no surprise that Skype Qik is there on my devices and has never been used if not for a few tests when it was released. If, unlike me, you're a user or fan of Skype Qik, then head over to the store as there is an update waiting for you. Maybe the changes listed below will make sense to you and improve your Qik, say "Quick", experience.

As mentioned in the title, the Qik team included a special holiday surprise in this update. It consists of falling snow flakes  upon launching the app. Don't worry, the flakes go away after a few seconds.

Here's what is new in this version of Skype Qik:

• New menu lets you delete, save, or send your message to another conversation.
• Friend didn't open the SMS invitation to Qik you sent? Now you can it again.
• PLUS, a special holiday surprise!

Source: Google Play

Skype brings floating window to Android phones.

Skype has finally brought the floating window feature to its app for Android. Users of Skype for PCs and Macs will know what I'm talking about. It is this very useful feature where you can minimize Skype on your desktop and continue doing something else while still having the person you are talking to in a small window floating over that Word document you were working on before the call.

In the description on Google Play, Skype calls this feature "picture in picture view". As can be seen in the screenshot below, the floating window is quite small. I tested it on a Motorola G. Similar to a desktop or tablet, you can move the window out of the way, around your screen. Just make you touch and drag. Applying too much pressure will result in Skype coming back into focus and maximizing.

Besides the floating, the update also includes some performance improvement like it now loads chats faster from the notification center. See the full change log below:

• Chats load faster, especially when opened from a notification.
• Picture in picture view lets you keep a video call going - for phones now too!
• Receive photos from Skype for iPhone and other new clients.
• Supports formatted text: bold, italic, strikethrough.
• Native support for Hindi -SAH!

Source: Google Play

 

Skype 5.0 for Android now uses your phone number to connect to and find friends.

In an update published to the Play store, Skype announces the option to connect Skype to your phone's address book in the coming weeks. I guess the update lays out the foundation for the deployment of the new feature.

Initially announced back in July, Skype admitted it can be a challenge to find your friends among the 300 million people who use Skype. The solution is for Skype to tap directly into your contacts on your phone. You will be prompted to verify your phone number after installing the update. When done, Skype will match contacts in your address book to your existing Skype contacts. The contacts will then show up in your list and will eventually grow as more people installs the update and register their phone numbers. Worried about privacy issues?

Skype says you do not have to worry about privacy, they will not spam you or your friends. In fact you are in control and can choose whether you want to be found by your phone number or not. It's all there in the settings for you to activate or deactivate. Plus your phone number is never made public. If you logon to Skype with a Microsoft account, the new feature will automatically connect to your Outlook.com and Windows 8 address list.

As written above, this new feature will be deployed to Android in the coming weeks. Skype is working to deliver the same feature to other mobile platforms.

Look into the Play store for the update or click here to download Skype 5.0.