Microsoft has recently released Skype Insider, which includes new features such as distinct calls and phone tabs, auto-play for consecutive audio messages, real-time weather conditions on the desktop platform, and a revamped landing page. Skype is one of the most popular platforms for VoIP, video calling, video conferencing, and voice calls.
What’s new?
Check out these new Skype Insider features!
Weather updates on Skype
Get real-time weather updates on Skype! This feature is available on the desktop platform. To use it, click the Weather icon, which will open the Comprehensive Weather webpage courtesy of Microsoft Weather. If you don’t want to see the weather icon, turn it off in Skype’s settings.
Differentiating between Skype calls and phone calls
Skype has added a new feature to its mobile platform, allowing you to differentiate between Skype-to-Skype and Skype-to-Phone calls. This update lets you easily access your Skype number, credit balance, international call subscriptions, and Skype credit recharge options. You can initiate Skype-to-Skype calls and create Skype links effortlessly within the calls tab, which is for making and receiving calls from other Skype users. The phone tab makes and receives calls to landlines and mobile phones, making it the most cost-effective method for each call.
Prioritise Skype contacts in the Contacts tab.
Skype has streamlined the Contacts tab to prioritize Skype contacts for easy access. This change will affect all platforms, including desktop and the web.
Using the Bing Chat Prompt
You can talk to Bing more conversationally by using the Bing Chat Prompt. To use it, tap the Bing 1:1 chat icon and select a prompt from the list. Bing will respond to your prompt in a chat-like format.
The prompts are reshuffled randomly after each interaction, and every time you start Skype, ensuring a varied experience each time. This feature is available on all major platforms.
Here are some of the things you can do with the Bing Chat Prompt:
- Bing Toolbox: This provides various options related to education, social media, travel, entertainment, creativity, language, sports, technology, and more. It appears in the top-right corner of Bing 1:1.
- Quick Bing Chat Access: There is no Bing Chat waitlist, meaning you can instantly access Bing Chat. This feature is available on all platforms.
- Auto-Play for Consecutive Audio Messages: Audio messages sent in a row can now be autoplay for a seamless listening experience, making it easier to listen to conversations.
- Revamped Landing Page Illustrations: Fresh, engaging visuals are used when logging into Skype on the desktop platform. The landing page illustrations have been revamped for desktop use.
- Stability Improvements and Bug Fixes: The search bar blocking the visibility of the top chat in the conversation list on the iPad has been fixed. These improvements include many other stability improvements and bug fixes in this Skype update.
Microsoft is seeking users to provide feedback through the Skype app or Skype’s user feedback channel. The latest Skype Insider Build is available for download to access early access features. Microsoft’s Skype is available from the Microsoft Store for desktop and mobile, the Google Play Store for Android, and the Apple Play Store for iOS and iPad.
