Skype 4.2 Beta for Windows – includes Skype Access, call transfer and more
The beta version of Skype 4.2 is now available to download – bringing back call transfer and, most importantly, adding Skype Access. The impatient among you can download it right away, but you might like to read on to find out what’s inside 
Skype Access
Ever been in a café, airport or on a train, wanted to get online and had to fiddle around with credit cards and login details for WiFi networks? Or been in a situation where you want to make a quick Skype call or send a couple of emails, but didn’t want to fork out for an hour’s WiFi access?
Here’s the solution: Skype Access – pay by the minute for WiFi access using your Skype Credit with a single click.
Call transfer
A little thing – but an important for many of you who use Skype in a small business environment. With Skype 4.2 Beta, you can transfer calls to one of your Skype contacts free of charge, or to a landline or mobile at our standard low rates. Many of you have requested this feature, and it’s a pleasure to bring it back.
… and more
We haven’t stopped there – 4.2 Beta also includes a number of bug fixes and a brand new Call Quality indicator to help you get the best calling experience possible. We’ve improved the way Skype works with the new taskbar and system tray in Windows 7, as well as made a number of improvements to the way we help people get up and running with Skype for the first time. If there’s someone you know who hasn’t tried Skype yet, there’s never been a better time to tell them about it. (We’ve got some really nice introduction videos to share, too.)
Download it now – and don’t forget to let us know what you think. Leave a comment below, or fill out our feedback survey.
your spam management is still a huge problem anybody can still search trough the directory and report anybody they want for abuse.
It does not make any sense. I got 2 account blocked like that without any reason
i was not even chatting to anybody!!!
Why do you read the security forum it is full of people who got banned for no reason.
wow is that true that anybody can report me to abuse without any reasons?
If yes I do not understand how can skype leave such a huge security breach!!!
I just did the test, lllallla5 is right you can just search the directory for any name (your ex wife for example) and just report her.
Ask some of your buddies to do the same and i am sure she will have her account block.
lol
Yes I noticed this problem a couple month ago when people on the security forum were getting crazy because their account was getting block for no reason.
Skype did not change anything apparently they do not care!!!
If you get your account block it is lost and that’s it.
I agree with you guys it is a real security breach….
I remember MySpace did the same for a couple months and it was nasty.
Some people were trying to chat with you and if you did not answer they were reporting you as spam.
I am really shock by Skype lack of experience and effort in this matter!!!
Skype access sounds epic, but it would be especially useful for the Windows Mobile client.
One feature skype needs to add is the ability to add multiple languages to your profile. I speak 3 languages, but can only choose to list one of them on my profile. I’m sure this isn’t the right place to leake this feedback, but I’m not sure where to do it.
are you going to add speeddial back into skype? this feature is very inportant
Still no speed dial feature that has been missing ever since 4.x version. When are you going to bring that back that was so useful in 3.x, Skype?
Perhaps the new Skype owners/management should consider that users who joined Skype before it changed ownership joined under different terms of use and therefore are entitled to have their new emails applied to their old accounts for free. Unfortunately, the new management has decided to capitalise on things as trivial as this without having much consideration for the original terms of use accepted at the time of registration.
yes i agree with you guys skype spam management sucks!!!
now you cannot make anymore new friends thought skype directory, you can be reported for abuse by anybody and you still get spam not anymore porn but you get those Christmas special ads.
When skype is going to work seriously on an efficient solution which limits the spam but not killing all the skype features?
@janaparipovich we’ve changed our terms and policies from time to time – and you’ll always be able to find the latest versions on this website.
If you’re having problems resetting your password because your email address has changed, our support team will only be able to identify you if you’ve made a purchase from us. If that’s the case, you can give them a shout and they’ll do their best to reunite you with your account.
Please bring back the old & simple design of UI 3.8 back. I am sick and tired of Version 4.x
In addition to call transfer, it would be nice if Skype would fix this 2 year old bug and allow it’s users to disable voicemail: https://developer.skype.com/jira/browse/SCW-449
for those of us who use google voice or any type of hunting feature, this is a deal breaker.
It’s seems the call transfer function works well now.
Our PrettyMay Skype Call Center (Skype PBX)Handoff call transfer function can works fine with the Skype v4.2.
GREAT!!!
@zachariahkral I realise it must be pretty frustrating – we have a project underway to fix a few outstanding voicemail problems and this is one of them. I can’t make any promises as to when the fixes will arrive, unfortunately, but rest assured that we’re working to set things right.
How about SkypeMe mode with parental password? What are the real plans for it?
Hoping to be answered and thanking Skype’s staff for the good work,
André.
Please, please, please bring back the option to create, advertise and admin public chats, these are extremely useful, except you have to use an old version of skype, which is an annoyance, Also, it is obvious that you still have the code in older versions of skype, so can you re-implement them? PLEASE BRING THEM BACK!
@peterparkes
why does not take seriously the spam management problem?
Why now we cannot search and meet new people without risking being ban?
Since the version 4.1 we cannot talk with people meet people from your area
what happen to the new skype and the freedom?
OK. Skype is great. But where is support?? I just solved my problem with IE 8. Every second page was crashed or freezing IE. I solved problem by disabling Skype add-ons’. It was nightmare until I found what going on. Also, give back to as old Skype with no graphics and 100 no needed options. There is out to many people, which travel around the world by business or like tourists. Can you imagine that still people working on 1 Kbps and less???? Try to use Skype on laptop in some African countries on laptop. I can disable antivirus update; I can disable any program to access internet, but when Skype start there is no way to be connected on any server. In same time on mobile Skype works???
Dissapointed there’s no option to revert to the simpler and much more user-friendly interface prior to 4.x. I believe the intention of the new UI is to make it confusing to the user so as to encourage them to make more paid calls. This is evident in the use of the same colour for Skype contacts and Phone contacts. But far from that, the new UI is discouraging me from quickly making a speed dial call SkypeOut by entering a number/contact in a ‘search/dial bar’. Instead, it now forces me to go through 3 steps to open the dial-pad, then click on the pad to dial. Why the complication?!
KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID! Have we forgotten that?!
Also, the action-on-double-click is now restricted to only call out. It used to be that I click on a contact and a context dialog is expanded (without opening another window) that I can choose to dial or IM. Why can’t you continue with that good practise instead of pop-up windows all over. LET THERE BE MORE DEFAULT ACTIONS FOR DOUBLE-CLICK.
In all the philosophy of the 4.x UI is sooo 90′s. Pop-up windows, multiple clicks, bloat features over userbility, confusing colouring. Who/where the he** did you higher the UI designer? Fire him/her!! If it is marketing/sales management that’s interfering into good design senses of the designers, then let us fire them or kick them out of the process before Skype becomes another irrelevant bloatware. Remember ICQ?!
Please bring back the simplicity and usability of 3.8 UI or at least have the option for that. It is not like I a free leecher of Skype service. I am a paying customer. This blatant arrogant ignoring of customer complaints (the complaints of 4.x UI is well shouted all over the place) over marketing/sales ambition is really encouraging us to look elsewhere.
Even Microsoft has learned it well to be more elegant with Win7!
I have been a Skype user for around 4-5 years. In my opinion, Skype 4.x has a horrible interface compared to the previous interfaces. So much so that it is rendered unusable by myself. I don’t really care about IM or Video Chat, although I did use Video Chat occasionally with 3.x versions and had no problems with it. I mainly want to use it as my home telephone, which is what I have been doing for the past half-decade. I did try to use Skype 4; I’m not baselessly flaming it. After a couple weeks of struggling with Skype 4, I have gone back to 3.8. If I am forced to upgrade to 4.x at sometime in the future, I will drop Skype and find alternate means of communication.
hello this message is for Peader Parks. I’m a totally blind user who uses Jaws for Windows with Skype. I have heard that MSAA features are disabled in the 4.2 release of skype for windows. This makes it impossible to tell weather or not someone signs in or out in Skype. Also, are you going to bring back speeddial or not? Are you going to put back MSAA or not. If you don’t do this, I will not update my skype version past 4.1 untill MSAA support is restored.
I would really appreciate if Skype brought back a more intuitive interface like those before the 4.0 came out. I still can’t change my wallpaper, the contacts are still GREEN as well as the online contacts so I cannot differentiate them with each other. I still can’t delete history like I could in previous versions before 4.0. Please bring a few of these VERY BASIC features back and users would be more happy with your interface in the 4.0 series of Skype versions!
This new 4.2 beta version causes the Skype main window to stay opened on the win7 taskbar. Even if I close the window with x button, it still occupies the space on the taskbar as it would be opened, instead of minimizing itself to the tray as icon only.
I am Sunil Chitrakar from Nepal, Thanks to the all team involve to the bring up so wonderfull kits as Skype, all over the world milions of people are using your facility. I have a comment for the calling prices, first thing is why the price is so expensive for nepal, one of the poorest country in the world and also a small country. and why so cheap rate for Japan, America and other developing and big countries. price is like neglegible. anothe thing is as soon you press the call botton the charges is started even you never start to talk to any one but the duduction of Money will started. From one year skype connection have a problem with no sound, no clear voice from other side, your voice is reaching in a pieces and so many times disconnection during the call or Chating. I hope the skype will reconsiderd the price of calling for poor countries, Like Nepal, Malawi, Bhutan, Bangaladesh etc. and also make available to buy Cash U card, because these country people dont have credit card in USD. they have only local prepaid card for Local Currency.
well…. the little xfer call didnt work, i just called me (landline to skype) and when i wanted to xfer the call to another person the phone rang again (the standard telephone) and when the other person answered i got dropped … :/
phone to pc… then from pc xfer to another pc and the call dropped
:/
i can’t close the window in windows 7. the taskbar button stays when i try to close it, which distracts me from my work. i like having skype open all the time to receive important messages, but it is annoying to see it open all the time
lucianct My status | Monday, Feb 1
to all that want to close skype in tasktray instead of taskbar, right click on the skype desktop icon, select the compatibility tab and tick the: ”run this program in compatibility for” and select ”windows vista (service pack 2). click apply, then ok.
and now you are done. nex time you open skype you will not see the anoying button.
))
Ok. I understand that skype has a new version. 4.1 is it? Well you see, i had the old version and im not quite sure what it was called. I liked it much better. It was simple and easy. And now the whole set up wwith the 4.1 is just to confusing and i really don’t like it. My cp got rid of it because we had to like do something to our computer and then it kinda in a way started all Over again. And i just really wish that we could Chhhoooooooose wich version we wanted. I don’t think it’s fair to make us download the new one esspecially when a lot of people don’t like it. Ok, thats all! Bye!
1) I have skype credits on my account
2) I hate 4.x and have hated it. I’ve given it 4 tries so far, it lacks too many features.
3) fix 4.x to give me my old 3.8 interface, atleast then I could actually manage my calls correctly and invite people not on my contacts list.
No excuse for this 4.x pos you put on our plates.
—-Skype 4.x ; the Vista of IM apps—–
@lucianct – Thanks for tip. Works like a charm. Definitely could not have that taking up precious taskbar space.
Now for Skype to sort it out.
When I close skype window, taskbar button stay hinder – this is big problem in my opinion and I hope for soon fix in next version…
@ risio
I followed edi.gjeluci’s advise
to all that want to close skype in tasktray instead of taskbar, right click on the skype desktop icon, select the compatibility tab and tick the: ”run this program in compatibility for” and select ”windows vista (service pack 2). click apply, then ok.
I’m with everyone above. Skype … please please change your behaviour on Windows 7 to not show your icon in the task tray. It’s annoying! If every IM/chat program took your approach we’d have no room on our task tray at all.
I’ve used the Vista compatibility hack to make it work like it should. But that shouldn’t be necessary.
Please fix.
I’m glad to see others have commented on the lack of speed dial in verions 4.X. I currently use 3.8 because of that. My Skype is connected to my home phones using a gateway and I use SkypeIn/SkypeOut as my primary phone service. The speed dial is a necessity for calling Skype contacts from a standard phone. Please bring back speed dial soon; I would like to upgrade to a newer version.
the skype window in the taskbar is very annoying!
Is the SPEED DIAL coming back or not ???
What are the intentions of Skype management? Why are you silent? We don’t need an ironclad commitment or promise but to have an idea of what Skype is thinking.
Also by posting here it seems that Skype names are being harvested for spam as they are easily copied and now I’m getting 1 to 2 spam messages a day. What is being done about spam chat messages?
The new skype sucks, you guys are total idiots, destroying what once was a good software. I don’t care if my friends use it, i’d rather talk by e-mail than to keep that crap with it’s annoying sounds and huge windows and stupid icon in my taskbar on my computer.
Fuck skype.
Skype 4.2 is the proof that you idiots don’t care about user feedback.
Why did you have to change the taskbar behavious of Skype. I sucks that the Skype window remains constantly and forever open.
I know the Vista workaround is there but why do we need it?
You really released this version without fixing the “stays in taskbar” bug in Windows 7? Who are your testers and what are you paying them for? Also the interface is an absolute joke … 3.8 was fine … this one definitely not. And have you noticed what happens after skype runs for a day or so and goes into host mode? What gives you the right to use people’s computers as skype hosts? I am on the verge of letting go of what was once a great application … same thing that I did after mirabilis sold ICQ and it became the same piece of crap skype is heading for.
“We’ve improved the way Skype works with the new taskbar and system tray in Windows 7?”
Improved? How much did Microsoft pay you to add that “improvement” and feed us that line? I’ll say this, if you taintscrapers try to pull anything like that on the linux version, I’m through with skype forever.
Hi. 4.2 seems to have a introduced a new problem in that when I click on the green Call button to a landline or mobile, nothing happens until I click a second time somewhere in the Skype window of the person I am calling. I use Skype with the person’s window undocked from the main list of contacts. Is there a setting to change this.
A second issue is that there now appears to be quite a long wait before the actual dialling starts. Once connected, the call quality is great, thank you.
Brian
Im going to quote batman up there, as he speaks from my heart as well.
“”We’ve improved the way Skype works with the new taskbar and system tray in Windows 7?”
Improved? How much did Microsoft pay you to add that “improvement” and feed us that line? I’ll say this, if you taintscrapers try to pull anything like that on the linux version, I’m through with skype forever.
I have version 4.2, and did not even know I have a Beta version. Is that why I cannot click the green “Call” button? I want to call a phone. I have credit. Everything is good to go, but the green Call button just won’t click.