Skype with Facebook integration and group video calling
We’re excited to announce a brand new version of Skype for Windows, which will help bring you and your friends, family and co-workers together like never before. Download it now, or read on to find out what’s inside.
We’ve integrated the Facebook News Feed and Phonebook into Skype, making it easier to stay connected with the people and communities you care about. We’ve revitalised the look and feel, making voice and video calling, instant messaging, screen sharing and file sharing intuitive and easy to navigate. And you can now bring even more of your family and friends together with the new group video calling feature available in open beta.
With Facebook integration, you can:
- see your Facebook News Feed in Skype
- post status updates that can be synced with your Skype mood message
- comment and like friends’ updates and wall posts
- call and SMS your Facebook friends on their mobile phones and landlines
- make a free Skype-to-Skype call if your Facebook friend is also a Skype contact
Video calling accounted for approximately 40% of all Skype-to-Skype minutes in the first half of this year, and with the new version of Skype, you’ll receive a free trial of group video calling in beta. We’ve added a dynamic group video calling view, which it easy to follow who’s talking by moving the focus to the person speaking on the call – try it out!
We’ve also continued our drive to further improve call quality, and the new version of Skype introduces automatic call recovery, which helps you reconnect calls that are interrupted due to Internet connection problems. Plus, the call quality manager gauges audio and video quality during calls, helping you to resolve problems and improving the call experience.
Finally, the new Skype Home serves as the dashboard for your Skype experience, with a feed of mood messages from your contacts, and tutorials on everything from how to make a video call to how to sign up for a subscription.
Download the new version now – and carry on talking 
For those of you who are Mac users: we intend to release an update to our Mac app soon.
I’ve just installed the latest version of Skype v5 on Windows 7 64 bit and it mostly works, the facebook integration is quite nice. However, what doesn’t work any more is my web cam. It’s integrated into my HP Laptop, and used to work perfectly in v4.2. I’m now getting an error saying “Can’t start video renderer, check you have a valid directx installation” and then the light turns on for my webcam and the person on the other side can see me, but I can’t see myself in my own preview window. I think there are some device driver issues that need to be tidied up here (this all worked perfectly in v4.2)
The new video conferences are pretty cool. Please keep them for free after beta! Would rellay appreciate it!
Does this new version have SHARE ….. please please where is it?
Just downloaded and installed skype for windows and tried to add contacts. I am rather shocked that there is no support for importing addresses from thunderbird. Why on earth not?
Is there the possiblity to avoid that Skype 5 connects to Facebook?
Oh no! Why putting that social crap?
I want Skype to be lightweight messenger and not a killer application. What’s coming next? Twitter and all the other most liked platforms?!
NO, please kick that!
ETA for Linux version?
While unsupported (and untested), you could try running Skype 5.0 through DarWINE for OS X and through WINE for Linux.
Hello, i always tested all Beta versions you shared and i have a good feeling with this last one but for several years i made always the same requests and they weren’t accepted i think
here my wish list
1)i’d like to see contact categories, to make skype looks like MSN or ICQ or QQ.
2)UI could be a little bit better if you put a “hide” option and or scroll button for the right side of the window
3)custom ringtones for each contact
4)Outlook contacts integration
5)Services integration (not only facebook, but for example, wordpress, myspace and so on..
thankyou so much i hope this message is readed
see you
hey like gooooooo skype!
I’m using Skype in Argentina and the latest version 5.0 is HORRIBLE in establishing phone calls to landlines and mobile phones. It connects, you hear weird background noises, it charges you, but no coming through. Been trying it now over and over and the problem stays. I’ve been using Skype for years now successfully so it’s definitely not a lack in knowledge in how to use it correctly. Seems this version is not ripe yet. Anyone with similiar problems? Any solutions?
Something has gone very wrong with the Skype video input processor in rev 5! Please fix it.
Back in the days of rev 4.x, I could use my ‘Sony DV Device’ as my video input and/or my video capture card. When I ‘upgraded to version 5 beta, neither worked and I had to use ManyCam software to capture my camcorder and route it to Skype. Now that version 5 has been officially released, ManyCam no longer works. So now Skype is worthless on my desktop PC, since no video source (DV/ManyCAM/capture card) will work anymore.
Something has gone very wrong with the Skype video input processor in rev 5! Please fix it.
Back in the days of rev 4.x, I could use my ‘Sony DV Device’ as my video input and/or my video capture card. When I ‘upgraded to version 5 beta, neither worked and I had to use ManyCam software to capture my camcorder and route it to Skype. Now that version 5 has been officially released, ManyCam no longer works. So now Skype is worthless on my desktop PC, since no video source (DV/ManyCAM/capture card) will work anymore.
I am a conscientious objector to Facebook. Is it possible to opt out of being included on their database (I have not downloaded this new version). If not, then I might have to terminate my Skype account (which would be regrettable since I find the functionality extremely useful).
why do you have to pay for skype..when its suppose to be free???? not happy…my son told me it was for free but the still charged me $70.00 not happy i think i got ripped off…concered customer…
One more Linux user wishing Skype would put more effort into the Linux version
I just read many messages above asking for a Mac upgrade for Skype. I just wanted to let you know what InnerPass has a Mac application on Skype and it’ll allow you to create groups of your contacts and you can click to call the group. InnerPass also allows you to launch screen sharing with one or many as well. Contact me if you have any issues or quetions regardings this. Or just go to https://www.innerpass.com/home/product-plans/free-trial.aspx and scroll to the bottom and click on the mac download button on the far right. Good luck and let us know if this works for you.
Regards, Steve sparsloe@innerpass.com
Whilst I agree with most of the comments relating to the lack of “updates” for Mac And Linux users (I am one of the latter) – I have to say I am happy I do not have to endure allowing any kind of “integration” to this abhorrent social wart (FB) in order to “update” my software. Why not make this kind of thing opt-in, or, at least, even opt-out?!?! We are not all mindless sheep, you know!
Really, when is the Linux version updated? People are using Linux and Mac more and more, are you trying to lose those clients? Do it!
Competitors will see this and start developing better clients for Linux, faster, more useful and complete than Skype is right now. Even I am searching for other VoIP clients right now running on Linux.
Mac and Linux users are discriminated… ? Realy? Then what about us WM users? We have version 3 only and it seems, that there won’t be ever an upgrade to newer version. And? Who cares? I’m happy that I have Skype for WM. You’re always just suffering.. This is the problem with a lot of people. You should say “Thank you!” for the (FREE) Skype app that You have that they made for You, not allways just “Give me, give me!!”. Where are You living? Come back to the Earth, or just wake up. You’re not kings who can give orders to anyone.. So, to be the first one, Thank You developers, for making Skype for WM without asking any kind of money for it from the users!
Skype, come on. Stop your bullshit. Get your act together.
Why there are no updates for Linux and Mac?
Why do you have this blog if you never post any answers to questions?
How about hiring a person who would communicate with blog readers?
Was ecstatic to see that you all had finally implemented group video calls. I then saw that we’re going to have to pay for them. Time to move on and try and find some other software. It is no more stress on you as a company to have group calling, it’s P2P connections.
I would like to see how many percent of Skype users use a Mac.
Pretty ridiculous to ignore the Mac community like this. If you’d done your homework you’d know that it’s a rapidly growing community with the most willing-to-pay customers.
This new version better rock.
Using Win XP with ver 5.0.0.152 over a network that varies from 56Kbs to as slow as 5KBs! The new version 5 keeps disconnecting me when the network slows down momentarily (for 30 seconds or so). The old version 4.?? would just clip voice for awhile and then would be fine. PLEASE can you let ME choose whether I want to disconnect or not instead of forcing me to with a “you appear to be disconnected” message. This is also affecting the games (bowling) I play which used to just freeze for awhile and now disconnect.. I suspect this is a timeout setting somewhere within SKYPE however I could not find a setting in Tools / Options / Advanced / Connection. I would greatly appreciate it if you could add a “Network Disconnected after xx seconds” setting with a “00=Never” setting which would turn off this timeout. Thank you.
p.s. For blog monitor only: I tried to find somewhere else to post this (like a support or release 5 problems blog ) and was not successful.
Skype 5.0 SUCKS.
I don’t give a darn about Facebook because I DON’T use that, and the new skype is just ugly, looks like yahoo messenger !!! I use skype for work !!! Sometimes Facebook is even prohibited by some Companies who may use skype for communicating with employees. Have you thought of that?
I downgraded to 3.8.
when you will deliver the same functionality to linux skype? mac?
could you hire a person who could really give answers to blog readers, if you don’t have time?
I will not request my friends to give their numbers to facebook. I am a facebook user but you should know what to share on facebook. Facebook leaks our info.
i hate this new facebook integration thing.. bring back the good old skype…
I removed the facebook app by mistake. Does anyone know if i can reinstall it? Thanks so much
@ronnie.ganguly1 just click on the Facebook tab again – you’ll be invited to reconnect your accounts
Ooh, Skype 5.0 sucks so hard! I’ve been trying for three days to install it and use it and have been failing!
It is too big and not reasonable that it can’t be resized.
And it just doesn’t freakin’ work! (Even with nice suggestions from the support team, I just cannot get the damn thing to install and work!)
I’ve happily gone back to version 4.2 which works just fine. Please, if it aint broke, don’t fix it!
I think this is a terrible feature. What if I use skype for work purposes and then I’m continuously getting facebook feeds that are distracting. Plus I don’t need everyone in the office to see my facebook feeds pop up on my screen as I’m using skype. Finally, for those more serious corporations that block facebook an integration with skype means that I cannot launch my skype and get it to work properly. I think we should have an option as to weather we want to integrate skype with facebook or any other social network. This is why they are called SOCIAL networks…cuz they are meant to be kept out of the office.
easy yodetta! you have two profiles, one for business, the other for pleasure.
and any cross-over, well you can add your friends to both. not so hard
I’m fairly unhappy with skype’s new layout on the mac.
* There is no reason for the primary skype window to be so large except when actually video chatting or typing.
* It’s extremely inconvenient to pull up the little transparent buddy list overlay because the button only appears.
* You cannot leave the transparent buddy list overlay active for long because skype keeps it on top of your other windows.
I’ll still continue using skype regularly because some long distance family members, but I will no longer leave any skype window unhidden when not in use. And I’ll more frequently simply shut down skype. In other words, I’ll see friends online in my other chat programs, and thus think to talk to them, but I will not think about skype contacts nearly so often.
I’ve already noticed two profound changes in my behavior. First, I’ll now almost always chat with friends who use both skype and another IM client in the other client, that wasn’t true a couple months ago. Second, I’ve made almost no skype out calls over the last month, using google almost exclusively instead.