Skype has announced a new update, unveiling a big redesign with large changes to the look and feel as well as a slew of new features. The update will be released later this year, and will focus on speed, reliability and design.
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Video calls, or what Skype calls the ‘call stage’, is getting a massive visual overhaul. There will be several options to choose from with new layouts and themes. You’ll be able to see yourself on the main view while you’re on a call, though you can hide your feed as well.
In order to keep focus on all participants in a call, the video feeds will be arranged into a grid by default rather than relegating others into a minimised view. This will include people on the call who aren’t sharing their video feed with the rest of the participants.
Other viewing options include speaker view, a large gallery and Together Mode (much like the one offered on Zoom). You can also choose not to include people without a video feed in the call stage. Audio-only participants to the call can opt to use the app’s background replacement images while on a call.
According to Skype, “the beauty of the left side panel screams art, balance and lightness,” as it highlights its focus on design with the latest update. There are much more colourful themes than before, with features including gradients for buttons and for users without avatars.
Skype has also been working on performance increases. It claims that the company has boosted performance of the software “in key scenarios” by nearly a third on the desktop app and twenty-fold on the Android app. It will also be including new or custom notification sounds and an updated reactions window which makes it simpler to reply by searching or using pinned reactions.
