Introducing the new version of Skype for Mac
We’ve just released a new version of Skype for Mac, removing the beta label and introducing group video calling as part of our Premium package, as well as a number of user interface and other improvements. Download it now, or read on to find out more.
First, I’d like to say thank you to all of you who sent us feedback on the beta, particularly the positive feedback on group video calling. It’s now available as part of our Premium package, that also includes live chat customer support. You can try it out for free for 7 days, and then purchase either a day pass starting at $4.99 (€3.49/£2.99)* or as a monthly subscription for $8.99 (€5.99/£4.99)* per month. New users receive a 7-day free trial.
As a result of that feedback, we’ve been able to make a number of improvements in the latest version. The video above has all the details. We’re also excited to announce a competition to recognise your own designs for chat styles – find out more and register your interest.
Something we heard loud and clear was that you felt that the app was too big – whether it was the window size, contact list, or the way instant messages were displayed. The good news is that we’ve slimmed things down a bit in the new version, trimming pixels and realigning things to make the app altogether more compact.
We’ve reduced the minimum window size, so that those of you who prefer to keep Skype to one side of your screen, for example, can do that more easily. We’ve also tightened up the contact list, so that you can see 30% more contacts at once. We’ve reduced the amount of whitespace in the sidebar too.
In addition, we’ve tweaked the way instant messages are displayed to reduce the amount of whitespace, allowing you to see more of your conversations without scrolling.
The contacts monitor is a great way to keep track of your closest friends, or your team at work, and in this version we’ve made it much easier to find – it’s in the Window menu.
You’ll be happy to know that we’ve brought back full screen mode in video calls. When you’re in a call, click the button to switch to full screen mode, and click it again to return the call to the Skype window.
It’s also easier to chat while you’re on a call – again, just click the button to reveal the chat panel, and click it again to hide.
Thank you again for all of your feedback. These improvements should help make the Skype experience on the Mac even better. Of course, we continue to welcome your feedback, and please leave a comment below, or use the Give Feedback option in the app and it’ll end up in our inboxes – there will be regular updates and we value your thoughts.
Comments on this post are now closed. If you have feedback on the new version of Skype for Mac, please read our update post.
* Pricing is VAT exclusive. Pricing inclusive of VAT for a day pass is $5.74 (€4.01/£3.44) and for a monthly subscription $10.34 (€6.89/£5.74). A fair usage policy applies.
I really like Skype, it’s an amazingly useful application, a must have. So I was quite excited that you have finally released a new version for the Mac, and not just 2.9 but turned it up to 5. Unfortunately while it pains me to agree with the crowd the new version is a step backward in terms of the GUI. A massive amount of wasted space which is just an annoyance. I too have reverted back to 2.8 which, as I mentioned at the start, is a great application.
Awful… did you even listen to the end-user comments from the beta feedback…
The new UI for OSX was not needed, and is complete and utter garbage, thoroughly unusable.
I have reinstalled v2.8 and will be staying there. If the UI is not reverted, and 2.8 is broken through API changes, I will be looking for a new chat/IM/video provider.
The new Skype is Blech! Everything is HUGE with BIG BUTTONS, and a SPACE hog on my 15inch Mac. And I cannot hide offline contacts! Terrible. Couldn’t find the old Preferences menu that allowed me to set “double-click” to chat instead of “phone call”. Please take it back and make it better.
IMMEDIATELY uninstalled v5 due the hideously large new combined UI with no option to use the “classic” 2.8 UI or something similar. Amazing waste of desktop space. Retrieved v2.8 from my TimeMachine backup – worked like a charm.
I agree with many here above. This design is clunky and not nice to use. I liked having a contact list in one window and chats in another. I am also on a laptop with a rather small screen, and this new applications is enormous. Please give us the option to use a minimalistic design that is as convenient as the one you had before, and the option to have more than one window. I love the new features, but the look is terrible.
It would also be nice to be able to continue to use the old sound files. This new incoming call sound is horrible. For older people who like calls to sound like phones the old sound was much more convenient.
The Ui is hooooooooorable! Please take us back to previous version. This may just make me drop skype altogether!
Very disappointed…
- The user interface in 2.8 was WAY better and not HUGE like 5.0
- No separate windows – stinks on Mac – okay for winders, ’cause it don’t work anyway
Switching back to 2.8
Agree, this “update” s a disaster on Mac. You expect nonsense like the HUGE user interface and other eye candy from/for winders. Should start from the 2.8 code base and get Mac programmers working it. I downgraded to 2.8 – thankfully, did not delete the dmg. Not being able to chat in separate threads stinks, like, uh, not Mac OS X. To downgrade, just open up the dmg and drop the app on top of the 5.0 one – it works
As an interface designer for 15 years Skype for me has always represented excellence in design. Something as simple as an interface that is just too big with no options to make it smaller is actually making me think of ditching Skype altogether. Very disappointed. If only I had not agreed to the upgrade…..
I use Skype almost exclusively for text chat in a professional context. The beauty of Skype on the Mac was the unobtrusive interface that I could put on one side while I had other windows on the screen. The new version feels like a huge step in the wrong direction. What’s with all the white space? It’s all so BIG and clunky, I have to fill 50% of my 22″ HD screen to see what I could before see on 25% of it. And what’s with the new font? The old one was much easier to read. What’s happened to my separate contacts list that was spaced so that I didn’t have to scroll it and could see it at the same time as the chat windows? My biggest fear with Skype was that you’d start to go in the direction of Skype on Windows which is big and cluttered. The Mac version was clean, simple and functional: exactly what an interface should be.
Please tell me where I can download the old version again…
Hi,
Is there a link to the Skype version archives, I recently reformatted and am adamant that this version is not getting installed on my crisp new system. A serious step backwards in my opinion.
I’ve tried it for a day… and I’ve downgraded back to 2.8. Need I say more.
Please reduce the window size.
I remember some early versions of Skype with enormous windows, like Skype was trying to take over the entire computer. You fixed that, but now you’ve regressed to. Even on my desktop machine you’re occupying nearly the whole screen. I want a compact contact list and controls.
Shrink the 5.0 window and all the *information* gets elided, but all the extraneous space, icons, and decoration stays intact. Totally backwards.
the design is too cumbersome, doubling of data, distracting useless data, why would i need to know who i spoke to a month ago as a matter of high visual importance, inability to reduce and minimise the design.. please have another go..
I like the new ‘group calling’ feature but it’s nothing that other applications don’t already do for free.
I signed up for the 7 day free trial but I’m not going to use it beyond that, it’s not worth but a nominal fee if anything and definitely not worth $9/month.
PLEASE give me back the old version.
This UI is way too large and in general uselessly complicated.
Or at least give me the option to close the panels and have a compact view.
Staying with the old and looking for alternatives.
I was going to hold off on making a comment, but after Skype 5.0 automatically installed on my computer when I clicked on “NO” I feel I have to speak up. I beta tested version 5. It was too big, far too much of a windows-style application, and really lacked an intuitive UI. While this version of skype actually is smaller than the beta, it doesn’t go nearly far enough. I re-downloaded 2.8 and plan to stay with it indefinitely, until I can use 5.0 in a small box in the top corner of my screen. I want multiple windows for calls, chats and contacts. I don’t care about Facebook integration (apparently the next big deal, coming soon!). I want it to feel like a native Mac app. Version 5 fails miserably at all these things. The automatic update was the nail in the coffin, I’m done with Skype once v2.8 is unsupported.
Please I’m a MAC user and This new version is really bad! What to fix:
1: make the main windows smaller (less space between contacts anc chat) we not pc user!
2: Chat must come back as before in a separate windows
3: when I talk i want to be able to chat at same time as before in a separate widows
respect the mac user style and priority we like mac because is different not because is like a pc … fix fix fix soon soon (20 days maximum) please!
please fix those priority soon!
Wow, the UI in this version is absolutely appalling – as pretty much everyone in this comments section has said, it’s WAY too big! It takes up 1/3 of my Macbook Pro’s screen… ridiculous. Please make it more like the compact PC version again or learn something from the beautiful Adium.
Not only is it too big but it’s incredibly hard to use too, I can’t imagine how this got through your testing department
Version 5 is so far from what I need that I downgraded to 2.8. Maybe 2.8 was no so eye-catching as the new version but it was way more ergonomic and flexible.
Things I don’t like:
* Not possible to hide contacts that are not connected (why would I need to see them?)
* Chat is kind of hidden in the main window, which is too big when you want to put it on the side on the document you are discussing.
I hope next release will have 2.8 look and feel, with the engine and possibilities of version 5.
Other users who want to downgrade: use Time Machine
Not that there is any need to make any further comments, but don’t you guys think that you could at least react to general criticism in regards to the window size by offering a ‘mini’ view option? It’s been a few months and you don’t seem to react…
Yup, I also remain in the 2.8 crowd.
The new UI is incomprehensibly bad. I spend quite a lot of money make calls through skype, but unless this is fixed in short order (or at the very least, an indication is given from skype that they’re working on it and a timeframe is provided), I’ll be investigating other VOIP options, as well the rest of the people in my organization.
I truly am staggered that this UI change was approved.
I just downgraded to 2.8. 5.0 seems faster to launch (kudos), but uses up *waaaay* too much screen space on my 17″ MBP. Heck, its even too much for my system with 2 30″ monitors for my taste, which I used it on all day today, just to make sure – which I am.
Hopefully this will get resolved at some point.
The only good new feature is the direct link to the address book.
Apart from that:
HORRIBLE
I hope I’ll find a way to get back to the previous version
thanks a lot
Just downloaded Skype 5.0 the other day, and then went straight back to 2.8. I hope Skype are paying attention to what people are saying here – 5.0 is completely unusable.
This new version is ugly. The interface is huge, and it’s not possible to switch back to the compact layout.
To all of you who enjoyed previous versions: do not install, this is a major step backward.
And cover flow, for Christ’s sake ? I mean, come one, it’s useless and ridiculous in this context.
This 5.0 UI is absolutely not userfriendly, sorry guys. the contact monitor can’t be minimized? and why all this coverflow stuff? it’s useless. i mean, group chat is fine, but why is this UI now so “heavy” and far beyond from easy, clean, minimalistic and fun to use. there are a lot of people who are using skype as an IM and this HUGE chatwindow is absolutely not usable. this is by far the worst skype ever, sorry to say that. and for me as an experience designer, it’s shocking to see skype becoming crap.
“Something we heard loud and clear was that you felt that the app was too big… The good news is that we’ve slimmed things down a bit in the new version.”
After I read the above I had to double check that I had the latest version, because you clearly haven’t acted on the feedback at all.
I am totally shocked that you feel this is a sensible use of my screen.
Please post instructions for how to roll-back to the good version.
The new UI is terrible, terrible, terrible!!!! It is a worst software on my Mac Give the API to Adium developers and they will provide much more user friendly UI then you.
“Something we heard loud and clear was that you felt that the app was too big … we’ve slimmed things down a bit in the new version, trimming pixels and realigning things to make the app altogether more compact.”
Heard, but not listened, it seems. Or at least, not understood why size is such an issue for Skype.
On my 13″ MacBook Pro, the absolute minimum size for the new version is over 1/3 the width of my screen. It seems that whoever is heading the UI dev team thinks people run Skype in front of their other apps, rather than off to the side of their screen while they use their system for other tasks. If anything, the UI should be heading in the other direction; trying to minimize screen real estate used.
As with many, many other mac users, I have rolled back to 2.8 and will be staying there until Skype ‘fix’ the UI in 5 to return it to an ‘applet off to the side while I work’ approach, rather than the current nonsensical ‘main app I am focused on’ design. That works fine for a web browser or text editor, but not an IM client.
If anyone on the Skype dev team is actually reading these forums: Take a step back from the bling to consider what people want. Use 2.8 as a baseline, maybe with a more Adium-like approach for the contacts list. Less is more.
I am VERY deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeply DISAPPOINTED with this new version of Skype(Skype 5 for Mac).
All problem is this ugly UI (designed by http://8020studio.com/#skype). I think it’s nothing but WASTE OF SPACE. and very good example of UNCONSIDERED UI for day-to-day users.
At the same tme, I can not help but doubt the sense of Skype.com who adopted this TERRIBLE UI.
Here’s more feedback for you … while you have ears to listen.
http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=756073&st=300&gopid=3345507&#entry3345507
NOW I’M BACK TO 2.8.
Yes….repeating more of the same here, but this is really a huge step backwards in usability. I’m a programmer and spend each and every day in front of the computer…I can usually find my way around around most applications. Skype 5.0…eek. I’m not sure if the team did usability studies or anything, but it’s unusable for me (and others, apparently).
There is *nothing* in this UI which is intuitive. *Every* action which I want to perform I need to hunt around for. I’m sure you guys worked quite hard on this, but it’s simply unusable.
I’ve downgraded back to 2.8. You guys really need to scrap this UI and go back to the drawing boards because it’s really far off the mark.
I want to vomit.
Why is the GUI so large? It used to be small, functional and effective. This is a visual redesign that makes the fundamental error of forgetting about the human user sat in front of it. It is a utility app, it should just work.
The floating contacts window helps, but it sits on top of other windows and has no clear indication that it belongs to the Skype app.
Back to the old version until this makes some sense…
I just tried Skype 5 and I had to quickly find the 2.8 version before is gone. In the new version in attempt to put everything in one window makes it too big and inflexible.
The windows for the video chat in the version 2.8 is elegant and practical. I can manage better my windows without having everything on top. Plus bigger windows does not mean better video quality since increases the pixes for slow connections. Resizing that window and makes it too small to display my cam. Sorry, but I am not upgrading to version 5.
Come on guys, this is ridiculous!
Please don’t let your trainees do all the work without having a look on it afterwords.
I mean, wtf? Did you ever use this updated version in a real setting?
Ok, here is my point: reengineer the gui from scratch and/or make it skinnable.
… switched back to old version.
I’m going to stick with 2.8 as well.
I see no value to this upgrade and hope that there are not shiny new codecs present in 5.0 that were not in 2.8.
Overall, this is perhaps the worst upgrade I have seen of a piece of software in a long time.
The UI team obviously did not pay attention as to how people actually use the program.
The programming team for some reason wrote an application that takes 15% of a dual core CPU when it is doing nothing.
1. HORRIBLE, disgusting, repulsive UI (specially the pseudo coverflow view).
2. Unnecessary awesomely big (yes, I’m NOT talking about the beta)
3. Inflexible.
4. Redundant.
5. Horrible interface.
4. Redundant.
Conclusion: Downgrading now
N. Why everything on the same window? Let everything float apart, screens are bigger everytime. Let us have our very-own-and-totally-personalizeable clutter.
It is still too large…. Can you make is as big as the old version?
What I really hate is the video window integrated making it impossible to video call someone and keep chatting with someone.
I couldn’t test it better because I’m busy lately but I really hate the new version, how can I revert it?
The new UI is orrible, too big! It waste a lot of screen space.
I was determined to give the new version a chance, but I had to downgrade this morning because this version is not reliable at updating my contacts’ online status–it tells me they are online when they no longer are. I tried restarting Skype just in case it was “stuck,” but it still showed them as online. Now that I went back to 2.8, I can see who is *really* online. And while I’m at it…the UI is seriously horrible. Hate it.
OMG I thought it was just me. So glad to see others hate it too! Was going to ask how to get back ot previous version but I see a link above. That’s where I go next. The Skype window is so HUGE! I usually keep it open at the top left corner of the screen so I can see who’s on. I could see a good number of my contacts with the box only about half the screen height. Now in that size box I see 6 names (one of which is Skype)! It’s way too wide also, ugly and just generally horrible! Maybe you made some improvements in other areas but for all I want, call, video call & occasionally chat, it was just fine before so why, oh why, did you have to make it look so different?
New version is simply awful. The worst U.I. i’ve seen in quite a while- completely confusing interface, hard to find functions, stuff disappears I’m Downgrading!
If your job was to make GUI worse, job well done…
I mean… Maybe someone likes user interface this big, but that should be an option in my opinion.
And get back the old separate chat window back!
Holy Moses! That’s big and nasty!!! What are they thinking? I agree with so many that posted before me. 2.* was nice, compact, unobtrusive and friendly. This monster is in-your-face, ugly, wastes lots of space and seems a throwback to the GUIs of the mid eighties. I really hope that my Linux version will not soon update.
I have downloaded version 5.0 for Mac three times and uninstalled it as many times. The new version either takes ages to respond (it communicates only with the beach ball!) and if you do manage to log-in after hours of waiting – it is very buggy and hangs all the time.
Deleting all the plist files and fixing permissions did not help. Any ideas? Or should I just go back to the older version?