Skype for Android has a small but nice update rolling out in the Play Store this morning. The new build, version 7.24.0.255 for those keeping score at home, brings some UI refinements as well as some useability improvements to the long standing video and messaging app. Probably the biggest change is the Calls tab interface. It has been updated with a quick call option and a new dialer button. Those of you who use Skype for calls, particularly international calls where the service really shines, will enjoy this update as it is much cleaner.
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A nice new feature has to do around group calls. Now if you are in a group call, Skype will give an indicator on who is the active speaker. This is a feature many conferencing solutions have today in
Skype for Android
the SMB and enterprise market but it isn’t so often seen in the consumer market. This is a hugely helpful feature if you have 3-4 people on a call, especially new people where you haven’t learned their voice yet.
Finally, the Skype team did fix an issue around audio routing. Some users had issues with voice messages not be routed through the phone’s speaker for private listening. I personally wasn’t effected by this but it appears that it has been addressed and resolved.
As always, Skype remains a free service and a free app. You just need a Microsoft account (@hotmail.com or @outlook.com most often) to use it. If you want to make international voice calls, there is a charge for that but you can easily add credits to your account from the app itself.
