Microsoft set to release universal Skype app for Windows 10

PanARMENIAN.Net - Microsoft killed off its touch-friendly Skype app for Windows 8 last year, and decided to build separate messaging and video calling apps for Windows 10 instead of a universal app. Now, the software giant is now planning to release a universal Windows 10 app in the coming weeks, the Verge said.

"As the screen size gets bigger — large tablets, 2-in-1s and PCs for example — and you begin to use the apps, expectations shift and people want to limit app clutter," says a Skype spokesperson.

It's designed to be a single-app experience for Skype on Windows 10, with a simplified look and feel on both desktop and mobile. The initial app will support video calls, messaging, and most of the basics of Skype. Future releases will add the ability to participate in group video calls, screen sharing, and video messages, the technology news platform said.

Microsoft's new universal Skype app for Windows 10 means the company now has three different Skype apps for its latest operating system. "Over time we will streamline all Skype for Windows 10 experiences into the Skype Universal Windows Platform app," says a Skype spokesperson. Microsoft is planning to do this in stages, gathering feedback along the way to ensure the app is fully featured.