14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has released a new version of Skype for Android that comes with some welcome improvements expanding its capabilities of starting calls on the mobile OS.
With the new update, Skype can make calls from anywhere across Android, as Microsoft plans to transform the application into a more convenient solution to get in touch with contacts.
As mentioned in the official release notes, Skype now benefits from support for Android call intents, which means that “tapping on any phone number in your browser or any other apps will now give you an option to make the call with Skype using Skype credit.”
Microsoft is also introducing stability and reliability improvements with this Skype update, so the messaging app should work smoother on Android now.
Skype on Android
Microsoft has made substantial improvements in Skype in the last couple of years in an attempt to convert it from a regular VoIP solution to a messaging platform that can compete against the likes of WhatsApp, Telegram, and others.
While Skype is far from becoming the number one messaging app on mobile device, it continues to be one of the most popular, with the Android version alone having more than 1 billion downloads from the Google Play Store (without counting the installs made with the APK file).
Users, however, aren’t the biggest fans of Skype’s transition towards a messaging platform, and after public backlash last year, users still criticize the direction that Microsoft is embracing with these updates.
“Once upon a time Skype was amazing. It did what it said on the tin: facilitate free online phone and videocalls. Then it tried to become a social medium. It added useless stuff (highlights, chatbots) and hid some really useful features (who's online, notifications),” one recent review in the Google Play store reads.
If you’re looking for the latest version, you can download Skype for Android APK from Softpedia using this link.
