Microsoft’s Skype for Android has hit a rare benchmark. The communications app has hit the 1 billion downloads mark, something that few apps have reached, especially those outside of Google itself. The messaging, calling and video app has been around in various names for years and is one of the linking apps between phones and PCs for Windows users. It may have taken it a while to hit one billion downloads but it did it and many others have never come close. Indeed, even Microsoft’s other apps are mostly in the 100 million download range.
Like many of their other Android apps, Microsoft has continued to update the features of Skype and that continues today. There is a small update that is rolling out in the Play Store that bring messaging improvements. The update is version 8.9.0.64295 for those keeping score at home and should be rolling out to users over the course of the next few days.
Improvements in this update include the ability to add content to your chats via the + button as well as being able to upload videos from your phone’s gallery app (or Google Photos) to highlights in the app. For those of you who are heavy Skype users, there is also a new feature that allows you to auto accept follow requests on the service.
For those who don’t have Skype for Android, it is a free app and available in the Play Store. You’ll need a Microsoft account to use it. If you want to make calls to landlines or international calls, you will need to load some credits for those calls within the app. Skype-to-Skype calls are free.
