14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just announced that the Metro version of Skype available on Windows 8.1 devices, including PCs and tablets, now comes with free group video calling, which enables you to video chat with multiple people at the same time.
The feature has been implemented in the standard desktop clients in April, but since then Microsoft has worked to deliver an updated version of the Metro port which can be easily used on tablets and 2 in 1s with touch input.
The company says that the new feature, which is available starting today with an update for Skype from the store, makes it possible to chat with up to 10 different contacts, but according to its own studies, most calls include three of four participants.
“We’ve found that most group calls take place between three or four participants. When building the group video calling experience for modern Windows, we optimized so that the three most talkative people – plus yourself – are visible at the same time. However, you can be on a call with up to 10 people: their videos will show up once they start speaking,” the company said.
At the same time, the update Skype client also provides enhanced functionality when chatting with multiple contacts but want to see only one on full screen.
“Also, if you want to see someone that isn’t currently talking, simply double tap on them and their video will go full screen. To go back to the gallery of all participants, double tap again. This way you can focus on anyone, at any moment,” Redmond explained.
Just like the previous builds of Skype, this new one can also run in snap view mode, meaning that you can easily video chat with friends while also browsing the web or reading email. This is possible thanks to the powerful multi-tasking capabilities integrated into Windows 8.1, which makes it quite easy to run two different apps side by side even on a smaller screen.
Free group video client in modern Skype is only available for Windows 8.1 users, so in case you're still on Windows 8, you might want to try the desktop version instead.
Overall, there's no doubt that this feature comes in handy to many Skype users out there, so if you'd like to give it a try for yourself right now, simply download Skype for Windows 8.1 from the store and log it with your Microsoft account.