Microsoft will sunset Skype 7 in September

[AlTech]

Microsoft has announced that they will sunset Skype 7 in September. Skype 7 is known as the classic Skype that was launched in 2014.

 

Skype 8 was released in 2017 for Mobile and Desktop and Microsoft recommends that Skype 7 users upgrade to Skype 8.

 

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Microsoft today highlighted Skype 8 and recommended that customers upgrade to the new software as the company plans to retire Skype 7, aka Skype classic, later this year.

Skype 8 includes free HD video and screensharing calls with up to 24 people, reaction options for messages in conversations and @mentions to get someone's attention in a group chat, a chat media gallery for viewing photos and links, customizable themes, a notification panel, and options to share photos, videos, and files over Skype that are up to 300MB in size.

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In the future, Microsoft plans to add additional features that include read receipts, private conversations with end-to-end encryption, call recording, profile invites, and group links for initiating a call with multiple people. Skype 8 features are also rolling out on the iPad starting today.

Microsoft is encouraging all Skype users to update to the new 8.0 version of the software as earlier versions of Skype will stop working on September 1, 2018. Microsoft says it is discontinuing older versions of Skype in order to provide the best possible Skype experience with no quality or reliability issues.

 

Microsoft's Skype Team has been quite aggressive in sunsetting older versions and this isn't the first time they've done so.

 

And whilst some versions of Skype 7 for Mac have already been sunsetted. Skype 7 as a whole is being sunset in September.

 

I would assume Skype 7 will stop working in September to make calls to people who are using Skype 8 for Desktop or Skype 12 for UWP.

 

Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/16/microsoft-launches-skype-8-for-mac/

[Mr Technician]

How sad. The old version of skype actually worked. With the new Win 10 version from the app store my group chats constantly skip messages and my own messages refuse to send incredibly often.

[GoodBytes]

I think it is a great move. The Skype team clearly could not handle all the different versions of Skype (one on each platforms, with 2 for Windows). Skype has degraded in quality a lot, and could not complete.

 

Having 1 version should, hopefully, make the Skype team only need to focus on 1 version, and now can focus on fixing bugs and making it better.

Already, the new Skype app will include, shortly, call (audio/video) recording, and private conversation mode for encrypted 2 way chat (will use Signal Protocol). This is a great start.

[Shadestones]

8 minutes ago, ThatFlashCat said:

How sad. The old version of skype actually worked. With the new Win 10 version from the app store my group chats constantly skip messages and my own messages refuse to send incredibly often.

The most annoying thing about the UWP app is this:

Step 1: Have the app on your phone.
Step 2: Open the Skype UWP app on your computer and receive a message.
Step 3: Get a notification on your phone even though you're already reading the message on your PC.

 

It's part of the reason I stopped using Skype altogether. Sometimes it realized the app was in use and didn't notify me, but most of the time it didn't.

[GoodBytes]

8 minutes ago, ThatFlashCat said:

How sad. The old version of skype actually worked. With the new Win 10 version from the app store my group chats constantly skip messages and my own messages refuse to send incredibly often.

The new Skype is out now... are you sure you have it? Or you are using the, now, old Windows 10 Skype app.

[kirashi]

11 minutes ago, Shadestones said:

The most annoying thing about the UWP app is this:

Step 1: Have the app on your phone.
Step 2: Open the Skype UWP app on your computer and receive a message.
Step 3: Get a notification on your phone even though you're already reading the message on your PC.

 

It's part of the reason I stopped using Skype altogether. Sometimes it realized the app was in use and didn't notify me, but most of the time it didn't.

This (and many, many, MANY other reasons) is why I ditched Skype for literally any other communication platform on the planet. My main platform for friends and family is Facebook Messenger (which ironically uses Skype technology for video and audio calls, except it actually works well unlike Skype) and for games / people I talk to less in real life Discord because I don't want to be a broom.

 

To be fair, back when Skype was first being introduced as an MSN messenger replacement it actually worked half decently, and was a lot more stable. Since around the time Windows 8 came out though, I'd rather use IRC messaging in a Linux Terminal window than Skype.

[Shadestones]

6 minutes ago, kirashi said:

This (and many, many, MANY other reasons) is why I ditched Skype for literally any other communication platform on the planet. My main platform for friends and family is Facebook Messenger (which ironically uses Skype technology for video and audio calls, except it actually works well unlike Skype) and for games / people I talk to less in real life Discord because I don't want to be a broom.

 

To be fair, back when Skype was first being introduced as an MSN messenger replacement it actually worked half decently, and was a lot more stable. Since around the time Windows 8 came out though, I'd rather use IRC messaging in a Linux Terminal window than Skype.

And the fact that even after all this time it still doesn't support read receipts. Like, missing features that everyone else has already implemented years ago is not a way to differentiate yourself in the market.

[Mr Technician]

49 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

The new Skype is out now... are you sure you have it? Or you are using the, now, old Windows 10 Skype app.

It's the Windows 10 app. I didn't think there was an alternative since when I tried to download the desktop version it refused to install and directed me to the store.

[Tataffe]

Skype got rid of me years ago due to malicious ads.

 

FB Messenger is the best cross-platform system right now imo

[GoodBytes]

6 hours ago, Shadestones said:

And the fact that even after all this time it still doesn't support read receipts. Like, missing features that everyone else has already implemented years ago is not a way to differentiate yourself in the market.

Read receipts is coming, they also announced it. Don't know if it will be there on day 1 of the new version of Skype once released or be after.

[Doobeedoo]

Just mentioned on other post, I use this new version for desktop. Has more modern look to it as well, the dark theme is nice. Not fan of uwa one. 

[TigerHawk]

Is there a way to separate the buddy list window and the chat window like regular old style messengers in 8?

I got a prompt to install an update last week and it gave me this god awful version where they were permanerntly attached with no option to open them separately. Absolutely terrible

[TetraSky]

Other than video chat, is there any reason to use Skype over competing solutions, like Trillian?

[GoodBytes]

1 hour ago, TigerHawk said:

Is there a way to separate the buddy list window and the chat window like regular old style messengers in 8?

No, not yet at least. Sadly.

[Delicieuxz]

13 hours ago, Shadestones said:

The most annoying thing about the UWP app is this:

Step 1: Have the app on your phone.
Step 2: Open the Skype UWP app on your computer and receive a message.
Step 3: Get a notification on your phone even though you're already reading the message on your PC.

 

For me it would be having no way to know if you've received any new Skype messages when the Windows Action Centre is turned off (as I want it to be). The classic Skype program shows a number notification on the system try icon for how many messages have been received. The UWP version only has the pinned taskbar icon and it doesn't have any indicator for whether messages have been received, and how many. It's a major step backwards in functionality from the desktop program.

 

To see whether any new messages have been sent, the UWP Skype program has to be periodically opened just to check - which is a chore, and so the result is that Skype doesn't get used as much as it used to.

[DeScruff]

2 hours ago, TetraSky said:

Other than video chat, is there any reason to use Skype over competing solutions, like Trillian?

Because your parrents only just "modernized" to it after AIM shut down.

[TigerHawk]

3 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

No, not yet at least. Sadly.

then I guess I am done with it. I have too many conversations that I view all at the same time(multi-monitor ftw) and having it all in one window is just unacceptable.

If Microsoft wanted people to leave the platform, this is a good way to do it.

[Teddy07]

10 hours ago, Tataffe said:

Skype got rid of me years ago due to malicious ads.

 

It is pretty easy to disable ads in skype

[Christophe Corazza]

People still use Skype? And I mean voluntarily not foisted on them by 'management'

Skype is a perfect example of an excellent idea, bought out by corporate greed & then totally f**ked up.

[Christophe Corazza]

Just a thought but do Microsoft employees take this type of abuse home with them? Controlling their spouses in a similar way.

 

It seems a very odd abusive relationship Microsoft have with their customers, whether it be clunky compulsory Windows Update, forced 6-month feature updates or the forced Metro style interface.

 

"You will fucking like it", with a virtual slap, love Microsoft.

[HarryNyquist]

11 hours ago, Tataffe said:

Skype got rid of me years ago due to malicious ads.

 

FB Messenger is the best cross-platform system right now imo

> concerned about malicious ads

> recommends facebook messenger

 

[porina]

5 hours ago, TetraSky said:

Other than video chat, is there any reason to use Skype over competing solutions, like Trillian?

 

38 minutes ago, Christophe Corazza said:

People still use Skype? And I mean voluntarily not foisted on them by 'management'

Skype is a perfect example of an excellent idea, bought out by corporate greed & then totally f**ked up.

For both the above, I think it is one of those things that people will use if they know enough other people who use it. For my friend circle, it died a LONG time ago, around the MSN messenger era actually. Skype never really replaced it in utility and came with a ton of unwanted baggage, typical MS.

 

I'm split onto three overlapping other messenger services now, WhatsApp, FB messenger, and Discord to a lesser extent.

 

14 minutes ago, HarryNyquist said:

> concerned about malicious ads

> recommends facebook messenger

 

It's a long time ago since I used it, but didn't MS go via a 3rd party ad servers? FB ads are in house so they have better control over them.

[GoodBytes]

3 hours ago, Christophe Corazza said:

Just a thought but do Microsoft employees take this type of abuse home with them? Controlling their spouses in a similar way.

 

It seems a very odd abusive relationship Microsoft have with their customers, whether it be clunky compulsory Windows Update, forced 6-month feature updates or the forced Metro style interface.

 

"You will fucking like it", with a virtual slap, love Microsoft.

lol, no.

1 software to maintain is usually better than multiple versions, where some have bugs that others don't, and if they share a bug, you need to fix it on each versions, test, and of course support.

 

It was a mistake since day 1 to not go for 1 platform for all or most. You can see that they had Windows 7 and earlier version, than Windows 8 metro app, than of course Android and iOS that was added at some point in time, than Windows 10 UWP app (which thankfully (from their perspective) is for Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile and HoloLens)., and now they have a web app version. And all we saw was bugs left and right. Like the famous issue where the video camera (on the UWP app) was flipped on reverse, and no way to flip it normal. It took several weeks for the Skype team to fix after media attention as they were rushing other bug fixes on other platforms that equally needed critical attention.

 

As for having "no choices", it is a question of support in the end. Having 1 version that looks and feel the same, makes providing support easier. A silly example:

 

With this new version:

 - User:  "Hello, what button do I hit to make a voice call"

 - A: "Very simple, pick the person you want to talk to, and you just press the blue phone button at the top right corner of Skype window"

 - User: "Ah, ok cool thanks!"

 

Before:

 - User: "Hello, what button do I hit to make a voice call"

 - A: "What computer do you have?"

 - User: "I have The Apple"

 - "Ok, well simply pick the person you want to talk to, and press the gray button at the top right corner"

- User: "I don't see a gray button at the top right"

- "Oh? Did you pick the person you want to talk to?"

... 30 min later...

- "Ooooh by "The Apple" you mean iPhone... ok, well in this case...."

User: "Soo complicated!!!"

[LAwLz]

49 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

lol, no.

1 software to maintain is usually better than multiple versions, where some have bugs that others don't, and if they share a bug, you need to fix it on each versions, test, and of course support.

There won't be a single version of Skype even after this move. The new version is Electron based. Electron does not work on iOS, Android or Windows Phone. 

This just unifies the MacOS, Windows and GNU/Linux version (at the expense of becoming a bloated Electron app although Skype was pretty bloated to begin with). 

[GoodBytes]

29 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

There won't be a single version of Skype even after this move. The new version is Electron based. Electron does not work on iOS, Android or Windows Phone. 

This just unifies the MacOS, Windows and GNU/Linux version (at the expense of becoming a bloated Electron app although Skype was pretty bloated to begin with). 

I stand corrected. But apparently React Native can be used for Android/iOS using the the same/similar code base as Electron as they both work similarly. Apparently they are also tools to help in doing so in some way to do this.