iPhone update: now supports multitasking, no additional charges for calling over 3G
We’ve updated our iPhone app – you can now make video calls.
In May, we upgraded our iPhone app to allow users to make calls over 3G data connections. Today, I’m pleased to introduce a brand new version of the app. It allows you to make calls with high quality sound, and supports multitasking. This means you can receive Skype calls while other apps are running, even when your iPhone is locked. And during a call, you can keep the conversation going while you switch to another task, such as checking a movie listing or reading an email. We’ve also updated the app’s graphics to support iPhone 4’s Retina Display.
Download it now for an even better Skype experience on your iPhone (opens in the App Store).
At Skype, we believe that better call quality and better availability (which is achieved with an app capable of multitasking and/or making calls over 3G) lead to increased call frequency and longer calls. We also believe that the mobile world is in a period of significant change, for example, with some operators starting to move to tiered pricing models.
In light of that, we no longer have plans to charge a supplement to make calls over 3G. We’re delighted to make it easier for you to talk for even longer and do even more together using Skype.
Multitasking requires iOS 4 and an iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, or a third-generation iPod touch (32GB and 64GB models from late 2009).
yvesleon3105 commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Excellent.
But how does it affect the battery usage?
Can you also switch it off, and if so how?
clayturtle commented Wednesday, Jul 21
I've been waiting years for this, thank you so much for finally making this happen.
yahoo_876 commented Wednesday, Jul 21
well it seems that it does not support http proxy as the previous version do !!
now i have to downgrade to the previous version. i think it is better to not have a multitasking than not having skype at all.
correct me if i am wrong
neil.goldsworthy commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Great news! I'm pleased to see that you fine folks have changed your mind regarding the additional fees for 3G calling.
One question - I presume the multi-tasking functionality means that my Skype call will no longer be disconnected if I receive an incoming (cellular) call alert? Can I just dismiss the incoming call notification and remain in my Skype call?
serrebi2006 commented Wednesday, Jul 21
It's a step in the right direction for sure. Thanks for backtracking out of the 3g tax.
wolfsnap.com commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Thanks for seeing the light re: 3G calling charges. Now, how about that video calling? 
mercuryluz commented Wednesday, Jul 21
It doesn’t work for me at all, every time I exit the application, I go offline for my contacts. 
Any ideas what’s wrong here? (iPhone 3GS, iOS 4.0, Skype 2.1.0, push notifications active, multitasking works for every other app that supports it.) Maybe it has something to do with my jailbreak?
grynrobert commented Wednesday, Jul 21
I just downloaded the new app... but the multitasking does not work. once I go to another app the skype app shuts down.just as before.
am I doing something wrong?
I have 3GS with IOS4
duduhanhart commented Wednesday, Jul 21
doesn't work here either...
iPhone 3Gs IOS 4.0, Jailbroken with Backgrounder installed (the newest version). The backgrounder is set to Native with always on (and I can see the badge so I'm quite sure it's not a question of settings in backgrounding.
Either it simply doesn't work as should work or something that I've installed (as a Jailbroken user) screws the Native multitasking of skype (seems strange since all other native multitasking app works well - fring,waze,twitter,facebook etc..).
Is there anyone here that made it multitask?
Thanks
dsloan1842 commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Thank you for delivering the ios4 multitask update. My ipod touch with Skype is now complete.
barhydt commented Wednesday, Jul 21
doesn't work for me on 3GS running iOS 4.0. I tried calling my skype in number after closing down the app and it went right to voice mail as if I weren't logged in to skype at all.
cswallow01 commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Bout damn time!!!
DUNNO WTF TOOK SO LONG?????????????????
Android release imminent in Marketplace?
By all means move as glacially as possible on Android release!!! As slow as you possibly can f'ing move Skype... Within the next day??? No, no too fast... Slower... How bout 2015???
mercuryluz commented Wednesday, Jul 21
@duduhanhart: I have a jailbroken iPhone, but I don't have backgrounder installed and it still doesn't work. Maybe it's the jailbreak in general that prevents the app from working? And maybe that's even on purpose.. Every time after a Skype app update, users with a JB are presented with a warning message that it "doesn't support jailbroken devices" but after dismissing the warning, it usually works normally - except for this time.
Anyone here with a jailbreak that got the Skype app multitasking correctly?
I'm very disappointed, I already hoped to be able to /actually use/ Skype on my phone..
feraboli commented Wednesday, Jul 21
iPhone 3GS with iOS4 also doesn't work. When it starts it shows the message saying it works only on unmodified iPhone 3.x. WTH?
astroid2228 commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Is it true that 3g skype to skype calls are only free till the end of the year?
also, im surprised the long wait didnt deliver video calling (not even on wifi?), skype has the power to single handedly change the way the world communicate's with your giant user base.
a3lawy commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Brilliant update, thank you. Please add iPhone 4 front camera video chat support as well, albeit over wifi only is fine. Allows us to communicate better with family & spouses abroad etc.. Please?
hpmoon commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Great step. And now it's critical to include Wi-Fi calling and a true Android app.
l.cheney commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Very happy with this app. The graphics look amazing, the app seems to respond much faster and above all multi-tasking works.
Also, the decision not to charge for 3G is definitely the right one, it would have been immensely hard to justify to your paying customers.
sibuckmaster commented Wednesday, Jul 21
It only seems to ring from the earpiece when I receive a call, I don't stand a chance of hearing it if it's in my pocket (plus it only vibrates once at the start). I understand if vibrating for longer isn't possible/allowed, but surely it should it ring through the loudspeaker?
Otherwise, thanks for the update. I hope you'll be able to get us a version with video calling from the iPhone soon!
sibuckmaster commented Wednesday, Jul 21
By the way, congratulations on your promotion from my second homescreen to my first!
^_^
dfbills commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Anyone know how long you can stay logged into Skype for iPhone in the background?
arakaramanian commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Please implement Bluetooth so I can use this while driving!!
drgreenberg commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Possible bug: When I first launched the updated app, a notification popped up telling me that the app works only on an unmodified 3.x phone. Strange considering that my iPhone 4 can't even be modified (no released jailbreak yet) and that the update is specifically for iOS 4.
duduhanhart commented Wednesday, Jul 21
@mercuryluz: It seems strange.... First, why would skype get involved in the jailbreak argue? Besides, it won't take long until the app will get hacked/cheated in casr they do limit multitasking for non jailbroken devices only.... Just like 3g unrestrictor...
Maybe it's just a bug afterall
mbrailer commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Is Skype multitasking supported on the iPod Touch (third gen) as well. iOS4 allows multitasking on the third-gen Touch, but Skype's description for the 2.0.1 update claims that multitasking is supported on the iPhone 4 and 3GS only. Was the third-gen Touch omitted by oversight, or because Skype doesn't support multitasking on that device?
It would help if the app description was updated to clarify this.
karlson_oliveira commented Wednesday, Jul 21
I've got the update but it's not working. I have a 3GS with iOS 4. I'm not getting the notification on time. I got the notification just 30 minutes after the message was sent. Also I'm not getting any notification for the calls. Come on Skype team, what's wrong? I was expecting some bugs, but this version is not working.
lujieinla commented Wednesday, Jul 21
it works on my iphone4, great.
but each time i receive or send a message, the sound alter is very annoying. i donot see the point that i need to be altered each time even i am in the chat windows.
isc.miguel.angel commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Works perfect on my jailbroken iphone 3GS with IOS4.
If yours is not working its because you have installed an old version of mobile substrator. Reinstall this one and try it again.
The only issue that I have is that my carrier really sucks, and i am unable to make a voip over 3G network, however, i am able to do it using another app, like Nimbuzz, so I guess its more like a problem with Skype internal algorithms.
Thanks skype!
yglodt commented Wednesday, Jul 21
You suck for letting Android users down. First you published a version without support for voice calls. Then you removed it, and then you harassed fring into removing skype-support from their app. Truly great.
northernbeach commented Wednesday, Jul 21
How about that video calling for iPhone 4 ? That is expected improvement by almost of users, I suppose...
listening2urheart commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Good on you Skype, next is Video Call between multiple devices..... Thanks anyway!!!
ken.poon commented Wednesday, Jul 21
isc.miguel.angel , what's mobile subtractor you are talking about on jailbroken ios4?
frankie_iphone commented Wednesday, Jul 21
"In light of that, we no longer have plans to charge a supplement to make calls over 3G. We’re delighted to make it easier for you to talk for even longer and do even more together using Skype."
does that mean calls are free for like FOREVER on 3G??
johnsjacob commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Congratulations on the iOS 4 support.
How is the Bluetooth support coming along?
hoferchr commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Well, I have a iPhone 3G. Even without multi-tasking on my iPhone 3G, can I receive incoming Skype calls (via push notifications) if my iPhone is in locked (standby) mode? That would be something that would like Skype even more!!!
schinden commented Wednesday, Jul 21
OK now is time to Android version, Android is better than Iphone OS, so what do you waiting for?
Next step: Android app for yesterday!!!
itaketwo commented Wednesday, Jul 21
You did a great job with this update! It was totally worth waiting for it! Multitasking works great – exactly the way I expected it to do! Love you guys!
jspeciner commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Reading some of these comments makes it perfectly clear why geohot left the jailbreak scene. If you literally have no clue what you're doing, why even bother? You can't possibly enjoy your overall user experience.
ns.1982 commented Wednesday, Jul 21
on my 3gs ios4 JB is not working, i have latest mobile substrate v0.9.3209-1 and still not working multitasking. Can someone help me???
azimbelman commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Multitasking isn't working for Skype on my iPod Touch (3G, 32GB, late 2009 model)...
charlespizzo commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Thank for you the update, and thank you for the news that Skype over 3G will incur no charges. This is a the mobile Skype of which I have dreamed. Truly useful.
We all look forward to future updates, including the much coveted video calling.
meehawl6969 commented Wednesday, Jul 21
This is nice for Apple owners, but I was doing multitasking and 3G with Skype on Windows Mobile THREE YEARS AGO. You know, before you withdrew the WM app from the market. How about bringing it back, this time with video?!?
dpgol88 commented Wednesday, Jul 21
Proxy support? This "update" seems to have disabled skype's ability to use proxy configs of Wifi in (at least) iPod Touch. Now I can't even sign in. Background calls, WTH? I can't make or receive any call now!!! This wasn't expected!!!
egillalmar commented Thursday, Jul 22
Cool. When will there be a dedicated iPad app though. With video perhaps. Despite the lack of a camera it would nontheless be cool to be able to recieve video.
grug2k commented Thursday, Jul 22
Good news!
Although "The mobile world is in a period of significant change" is certainly a unique way of saying "our customers saw right through our greed in charging for something that costs us no more and is offered on many other handsets free of charge"
bjsvec commented Thursday, Jul 22
It doesn't ring audibly, just a single vibrate. What is the point of a phone app that doesn't make your phone ring when someone calls you?
manathan1984 commented Thursday, Jul 22
How about the battery guys? In my iPhone 3GS the battery is killed in a few hours in standby mode....
azimbelman commented Thursday, Jul 22
Update: multitasking is now working on my iPod Touch--had to re-download the update and sync one more time with my iPod.
rockston commented Thursday, Jul 22
It's good that the brainwave of charging for calls over 3G (which don't cost Skype 1 cent more to handle) has been killed off. Skype really needs to take a good hard look at it's "banker" mentality that seems to run the company following the recent change of ownership. It's all about the bottom line now, isn't it. The Skype community is now a Revenue Source. Fring is a competitor - how dare it introduce video calling. Skype's survey techniques also show the same thinking - last week Skype issued an extensive online questionnaire riddled with push-polling devices that asked in a wide range of ways how much I would pay for what is now free. The grand assumption behind many questions was that I would pay a considerable sum - $20, $50, perhaps $100 per month. Skype must be kidding itself. Skype, it's good to see that your survey targets were not fooled - clearly, when given the option in that survey people unequivocally said Skype-Skype calls should remain free, no matter what method is used to transport the calls. It is good you listened, despite the massive bias attached to the line of questioning. Next step: Run a more neutral survey that truly tries to search out info about your users and does not treat them like potentially moronic cash cows. This is urgent - the seeds of doubt about future charging trickery have been sown, Skype's reputation has been damaged and competitors are scrambling to fill the gap. Oh yes, and repair your relationship with Fring - we all hate bullies.
davidyyz commented Thursday, Jul 22
Glad to see the update.
Good news there will be no charge for 3G.
Works fine on my 3GS with iOS 4
aperley commented Thursday, Jul 22
This update is killing the battery, and there are plenty users complaining about the same thing in various blogs and on Twitter. It's killing battery even when you are not actively using Skype at all. It's not just slightly faster battery drain - I'd say 8-10 times (!) faster on my iPhone 4. That's when you are NOT USING it - when you are, it just run down before your eyes. I personally experienced this on two brand new iPhone 4's, which have an amazing battery life otherwise.
Skype: how fast are you going to fix this? It's not like you didn't take entire month to polish this release...
mp2893 commented Thursday, Jul 22
Thanks for the great update.
And I really appreciate undoing the 3g tax plan.
leoofborg commented Thursday, Jul 22
Hello Jailbreaking folks out there from someone who used to test: This is for you guys with an iPhone 3GS running iOS4: If you remove *the current* MobileSubstrate (and all your toys) and then reboot... then backgrounding works FINE.
Despite the fact that Saurik says 'no problems with current MS' I still get borked profile text & no backgrounding. With ONLY MobileSubstrate installed.
So de-install it.
doberman_there commented Thursday, Jul 22
@yvesleon3105 :
>>But how does it affect the battery usage?
I think it is very close to the amount of battery it used leaving it running and locked. I perceive it used perhaps slightly more but I did get a lot of emails today so its hard to point the finger at skype in the background persay.
>>Can you also switch it off, and if so how?
As with any app on ios4 you can quit an app and or clear it from the list (for those apps that don't multi task) by
1. double tap the home button to open the tray with all the apps running and or recently used.
2. tap and hold the running app in the tray until it jiggles (like deleting/moving apps normally)
3. click the red x that appear on the app to kill the app.
4. tap the home button to return to normal mode.
Currently they don't have an option in the skype settings panel to disable background.
maarous commented Thursday, Jul 22
thank you Skype team! charging a fee on top of a subscription was goign to be a bad bad mistake. we, also, deserve a medal for waiting this long for a multitasking version of Push Notification. Now! we need support for Bluetooth on the iPhone, I can't stress enough how annoying it is not to be able to use my bluetooth headset while on a skype call. As for video calls over the iphone 4. i think it's an Apple issue.
dennisderschow commented Thursday, Jul 22
@leoofborg: just wondering, for me (3gs/ios/jb+ul) backgrounding doesn't work either, though i don't have any mobilesubstrate version installed at all. how did you get it to work exactely?
smileygibboy commented Thursday, Jul 22
jailbroken people: I installed backgrounder and set skype to 'run as in the forground' it now seems to be behaving the way it should, the red bar appears when I remain in a call and close skype, and a push notification appears when i receive a call. I'm not too sure if its draining more battery life this way though.. any thoughts?
dennisderschow commented Thursday, Jul 22
@smileygibboy: shouldn't skype actualy ring, when in background and not only push?!
and anybody knows, how backgrounding of skype is affected by mobile substrate?
rassassa commented Thursday, Jul 22
So I guess skype elected to get right in the middle of the jailbreak argument. WHY? The app does check if IOS4 is modified and it revert to older IOS support that does not include multitasking. I guess I made the right decision when I ported my phone to Toktumi last week. What a disappointment!!!!
rassassa commented Thursday, Jul 22
smileygibboy commented Thursday, Jul 22
jailbroken people: I installed backgrounder and set skype to 'run as in the forground' it now seems to be behaving the way it should, the red bar appears when I remain in a call and close skype, and a push notification appears when i receive a call. I'm not too sure if its draining more battery life this way though.. any thoughts?
-------------------------------
Yes it does drain your battery faster this way. This is the way that it always worked in the past. The App thinks it is in the foreground. IOS4 Multitasking disables all App functionality and only allows a portion of the App - TCP Listener to be backgrounded which minimize the usage of the battery and memory. Unfortunately, Skype got itself in the middle of the Jailbreak argument. If it detect that your IOS 4 is modified then it revert back to no Backgrounding support. It really amazes me to see a company like Skype who once was on the side of the consumer for the freedom of choice to start playing this way. Very shameful unless it is really an honest mistake but I doubt it.
simonsaysdrei commented Thursday, Jul 22
Is it somehow possible to have Skype on the iPhone not receive messages when another istance of Skype is running on a PC? I find it disturbing when I am chatting at the PC and the iPhone is constantly vibrating and increasing the unread count badge for Skype.
AIM has such an option where iPhone only displays messages if all other clients are off or the App is in the Foreground.
manioro commented Thursday, Jul 22
It great news!!! This is my favourite apps on my iPhone, can you also please extend 3g calls for another year please!!!:)))
smileygibboy commented Thursday, Jul 22
@dennisderschow: Skype does actually ring when i use the settings i said before..
@rassassa: Its not acting like skype used to with typical backgrounding because the red bar appears just like u do when ur on a normal call and close the window. this never happened with the old skype which just worked in the background., so im not sure whats going on here! .. I hope someone comes up with a proper fix soon!
vdubravin commented Thursday, Jul 22
battery usage (test results):
- 3gs with new battery
- skype is the only 3rd party running in the background
- phone is locked
8 hours -> 30% discharge !
this is too much.
Also 3gs "survives" about 2 hours of skype talk time on wifi only.Bbattery gets hot (very hot) in about 5-7 minutes.
dennisderschow commented Thursday, Jul 22
@smileygibboy: seems we have to wait for saurik to sort things out...
norbertayer commented Thursday, Jul 22
There is a too big difference of treatment between iphone and android. All studies show that android is used by younger people (than iphone) and they should benefit as well of cheaper communication. Mind you my monthly invoice for my skype is not that small but still cheaper than the normal line.
jokiin commented Thursday, Jul 22
what a shame, great function if it didn't chew through battery faster than any other process, it needs a switch to be able to allow backgrounding or not on a user selectable basis, far too heavy on battery to be practical unfortunately
I'd prefer to see a push version instead, would be much more battery friendly than this, going back to the previous version for now and hoping they can get it right sometime soon
dansnell commented Thursday, Jul 22
Wow yes, battery has just dropped to 17% after just 3 hours mainly on standby. I normally get a full days use out of the phone. Definitely not a usable app right now with the battery drain. I also noticed the phone getting quite warm (not a great sign). Hopefully Skype will have an update to fix these issues soon. Unless I can get a full days use out of my iPhone with Skype running in the background then it seems a bit pointless to have multitasking.
Thanks for going back on the 3G charging.
dansnell commented Thursday, Jul 22
Wow yes, battery has just dropped to 17% after just 3 hours mainly on standby. I normally get a full days use out of the phone. Definitely not a usable app right now with the battery drain. I also noticed the phone getting quite warm (not a great sign). Hopefully Skype will have an update to fix these issues soon. Unless I can get a full days use out of my iPhone with Skype running in the background then it seems a bit pointless to have multitasking.
Thanks for going back on the 3G charging.
rbtx99 commented Thursday, Jul 22
Running skype for the last 4 hours with all other apps closed. The battery dropped from 100% to 63%. The phone was in WiFi area during this time.
If other people are experiencing battery battery performance perhaps there is a bug in the new software that make it consume more in some cases. All I can say is that at this rate I have to charge the phone more than once a day which is not acceptable.
patsycoleton commented Thursday, Jul 22
is there a way of me identifying a skypeln number from an ordinary landline number?
kenkc007 commented Thursday, Jul 22
Battery performance is really terrible!! I had it running in the background for about 5 hours and it dropped from 100% to 35% - I didn't even get a call or an IM in that time. Got to be something wrong with this guys - sorry.
nathanphotography commented Thursday, Jul 22
The Skype app is great if you want to call a computer, but you can call ANY phone in the U.S. with Skype for only $2.99 a month, and you could even use an iPod Touch to do it (while on WiFi). However, the way to go is with Skype's FREE Skype to Go number, a local number you call that taps you into Skype. Most ATT calling plans include the A-list. Put the Skype to Go number on your A-list, then you can make unlimited outgoing calls to ANY phone in the U.S. for only $2.99 a month! Or you can call internationally for cheap.
My wife is from Italy, and currently, for only $6.99 a month, you can make unlimited calls to almost any one country, while driving, without killing your battery life, using a calling plan and Skype to Go. My wife does over 800 minutes a month to Italy, and we pay under $7 a month, and can use call waiting, blue tooth, 3 way calling, etc.
Skype Rocks!!
And THANK YOU Skype!! My wife and I got married last August, and if it weren't for the Skype App for iPhone, we wouldn't have started talking so much, and we never would have met. The App came out about a week before we started talking on the phone. THANKS SKYPE!!
seanhsmith.com commented Thursday, Jul 22
Very nice update, Skype. I am anxiously awaiting the update that will add video chat via the iPhone 4's front-facing camera. I do have one suggestion, though... Could you please badge the Skype icon on the home screen as missed call or message notifications come in? Right now, if you hit close on a notification or don't notice it, there's no visual indication that you missed something. Then just clear the badge the next time the app is launched.
ortiz3m commented Thursday, Jul 22
This is an awesome update....I know everyone is requesting video chat, I think that will come in time. The only 2 requests I have are to make the ring tone louder and please please put the paste option when dailing a number. I get so many non contact numbers call me and I have better wifi reception and cannot past the numbers in the dial pad.
jasonmtracy commented Thursday, Jul 22
I accept Skype's cancellation of their plans for charging for 3G calling as a proper apology for their very long time to release this update. All is forgiven.
jasonmtracy commented Thursday, Jul 22
I accept Skype's cancellation of their plans for charging for 3G calling as a proper apology for their very long time to release this update. All is forgiven.
ken.poon commented Thursday, Jul 22
jailbroken people: backgrounder drains the battery faster, that's about it.
as for uninstalling mobilesubtrate... doesn't it effectively break the unlock if your phone is unlocked?
antair commented Thursday, Jul 22
Update is BAD. Why?
1. Battery life became extremely LOW.
2. Still no bluetooth support?
smileygibboy commented Thursday, Jul 22
jailbroken people: my stats so far skype 2.01 running in the background with backgrounder, current normal phone usage 1hour 40 minutes, standby 4 hours, 34 minutes BATTERY so far 63% ... erm i dont think thats too bad really!
fred.compton commented Thursday, Jul 22
Nice job but it depletes the battery 3 times faster than without multitasking. That's a show stopper in itself
i_levit commented Thursday, Jul 22
As one of the people who criticized Skype for the delay of this release, I have to say kudos to Skype for getting it out and for making it as functional as promised. Also a nice goodwill gesture to make 3G calling free!
As far as the complaints in this thread...I saw 300+ complaints about the delay, now we're heading to 300+ complaints about video and battery? One step at a time people...those concerns will be addressed at some point.
Peter Parkes commented Thursday, Jul 22
@astroid2228 as the post says, we no longer have plans to charge for calls over 3G
@feraboli @drgreenberg are you sure you’ve downloaded the update?
@sibuckmaster appreciated!
@dfbills the iPhone may quit Skype if it runs out of memory, but in theory you can stay signed in forever
@mbrailer well spotted – should work just fine on the third generation iPod touch
@karlson_oliveira sorry to hear you’re having problems – what sort of Internet connection do you have?
@hoferchr not at the moment, unfortunately
@tato_blato @onastov @maarous @antair the way that iOS works means that it isn’t possible for us to support Bluetooth headsets satisfactorily, unfortunately
@dpgol88 we’re not aware of any problems – does this affect other apps?
@aperley @manathan1984 @jokiin @dansnell @kenkc007 @fred.compton thanks for the feedback – we’re monitoring this
aperley commented Thursday, Jul 22
SKYPE:
Are you guys going to comment on the battery issues? Please at least acknowledge the problem and tell us that you are looking into it and will fix in the next update.
When not actively in a call, Skype should be consuming no more resources than an average app with push notifications. In practice, this translates into next to zero impact on battery life, particularly on iPhone 4, when there are no notifications coming in. That was the whole idea behind Apple's pseudo-multitasking model. The fact that Skype manages to kill the battery in no time while passive - and it's not even "running in the background" per se when there is no active call! - indicates a serious bug.
Oh - just to clear out a possible hesitation - this has nothing to do with jailbreaking. Both my and my spouse's phones have never been jailbroken, and I don't think there is even a way to jailbreak an iPhone 4 as of right now (not sure - I'm just not into that stuff).
aperley commented Thursday, Jul 22
@Peter Parkes
Sorry Peter, posted my last message before you posted yours. Appreciate that you guys are looking into this. Looking forward to be able to re-install Skype on my iPhone after this is fixed - had to get rid of it as it sucks life out of my iPhone 4 in half a day after yesterday's update without even using Skype (lasts 2 days with Skype uninstalled).
ohadnathan commented Thursday, Jul 22
works great for me on an iphone 3gs but its killing my battery and ive only been on wifi today, what will happen on 3g......
yahoo_876 commented Thursday, Jul 22
yesterday i was using the previous version and it was working fine then i updated skype and i won't connect and i get timeout error, i tried a lot. btw im using iPod 2g through http proxy no credentials. the internet connection works fine with other apps including skype previous version. Now i had downgrade to the previous version and it is working fine !!
does it support proxy ?
anto290578 commented Thursday, Jul 22
The new release works like it should but unfortunately, when running in bg on my 3GS, it kills the battery! Why? I've tested other apps like Nimbuzz working in bg and they don't have such a problem. I'm sure that with an update you can fix this problem, so... at work!!!!
leoofborg commented Thursday, Jul 22
@the.jailbreakers: Skype doesn't seem to be 'looking for a jailbreak per se' .. I think what they're looking for is things that load into the same memory space as their Skype.app. And they should.
I know this because I also run a /hosts file, and they're not checking for that. To the Skype team, thank you for not being jerks, like some (jailbreak) devs,*cough* sbsettings guy.
Let me explain, and for Mac users this will become VERY FAMILIAR.
InputManagers like SIMBL or Haxies also do this on your Mac, right? They inject themselves so that you get different UI or functionality. UNFORTUNATELY they also make a LOT OF GRIEF for App Developers. Including Skype. So I don't blame them, they shouldn't have to support hacks. And in some cases they destabilize the OS. Read all the horror stories about 'haxies' and OS 10.4 to .6 if you don't believe me.
I pin the blame on MobileSubstrate. Why? Because I de-installed it, like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leoofborg/4818838392/
Ran Skype. It worked fine. Then JUST re-installed Mobile Substrate. Problems again. And then emailed Saurik. Yeah, suuuuuuure, it's MS+other apps. Nuh-uh, it's JUST MS.
It could be the case that the jailbreak devs have to redo Mobile Substrate and all their Apps to do Apple's newer, 'better' backgrounding model. Backgrounder & MS were very useful under iOS3.x, but it/they have to be redone to account for really low level changes in iOS4.
Me, I've made my choice. I don't need an unlock, and now probably don't need 3G Unrestrictor. And now that Skype properly multi-tasks on my iPhone 3GS, I've gotten 3x more Skype calls on my iPhone because folks think I'm being more sociable.
Oh, and did I thank the Skype guys for retracting the 'charge over 3G?' thing yet? From the semi-retired kinda on a budget geek contingent: THANK YOU!
-Leo
smvanbru commented Thursday, Jul 22
Umm... I'm begining to see why Apple encourages developers to use their notification system/push system rather than this multitasking that they've been pushed into.
Didn't anyone at Skype do any testing? When I take my iPhone 3GS off the charger, and just have it in standby, after 6 hours, I'm normally only down to 70%-80%. Today, with Skype running, but the phone not used at all during the day, after 6 hours, I was down to 20%. Come on guys, this is unusable. If that's how it's gonna be, I'll switch to some other product.
kaffee.net commented Thursday, Jul 22
and when will be SKYPE on iphone supports bluetooth headset ?
>> that will be make phone calls much more comfortable !
sravastinair commented Thursday, Jul 22
Yes, this upgrade is causing the battery to drain at a horrific rate ... Mine is a 3GS with iOS 4 installed but the drain seems to be worse for iphone 4. It is surprising that such a major issue was not detected prior to rolling out this update that everybody was waiting for. Hopefully a fix will be available soon!
aperley commented Thursday, Jul 22
@smvanbru Apple hasn't been pushed into multitasking, you got it all wrong. What they did instead is created a system that works on the same principles as push notifications, and called it "multitasking" to calm down the buzz. iPhone does not do "multitasking" for 3rd party apps, it the sense you would understand multitasking on other mobile platforms and on the desktop. iOS 4 simply adds 6 more system-wide background services to the existing push notifications service, with the sole intention of not hurting the battery life. All truly iOS 4 - ready apps use at least one of these services - Fast App Switching - and many use more. The idea is, no matter how many of these services an app is using, and no matter how many apps are using them at the same time, the battery life is virtually not affected at all. And this truly is the case - I have Beejive IM using Push and Fast Switching, Cyclometer using Background Location, Pandora using Background Audio, and a bunch of others using Fast App Switching alone (not counting Mail using Push on Exchange Account), and my iPhone 4 still has above 20% left by the time I go to bed. This is how it is supposed to be - by design.
Now, Skype is supposed to be using 3 services: Fast Switching, Push Notifications (for text IM's) and Background VoIP. In theory, as long as you are not running an actual VoIP call, this Background VoIP service is supposed to eat no more battery than Push Notifications service. This makes sense - all the Background VoIP service does when you are not in a call is listening for network messages - not much different from the Push Notifications service. So, in theory, when the Skype app is just "sitting in the background" (in reality, only Push Notifications and Background VoIP services are listening for messages from Skype's servers), the battery drain is supposed to be pretty much the same as without Skype. In reality, though, I took my phone off the charger today, and it lost 15% of charge in 3 hours, without me even toughing the phone!!! Before this Skype update, my iPhone 4 would have lost 1% in such circumstances, maybe 2% if it was getting too many push notifications from other apps.
So this is not Skype doing something that Apple doesn't recommend. They actually ARE using Apple's (quote) "notification system/push system" (unquote), but there appears to be a bug that causes extensive battery drain. Here's hope that Skype fixes this faster than it took them to release this version.
seanhsmith.com commented Thursday, Jul 22
I posted a suggestion earlier about badging the Skype icon on incoming messages, etc... Is this functionality already there? I just had a badge on my Skype for the first time since I updated but it rarely ever shows up upon an incoming notfiication. Another possible bug to look at?
djassif commented Thursday, Jul 22
With this update Skype has renewed my confidence that it is not greedy. I was very upset at the decision to start to charge for 3G Skype to Skype calls. Now that that decision has been reversed, I have re-installed the skype app on my iPhone. Awesome!!
morac74 commented Thursday, Jul 22
@aperley I think the problem is the VOIP background service. Skype is the first app to actually use it so it's the first app that people will notice an issue with battery life.
I'm not a iPhone developer so I don't know how the background VOIP service is designed to work, but there's basically two ways it could work with respect to receiving an incoming call:
1. One an incoming call could come in as a push notification which would trigger the VOIP to connect to the appropriate VOIP server so the call can be accepted. This would be similar to how a push mail notification actually triggers a fetch by the phone. This method would not use any battery when not receiving or on a call since push notifications piggy-back over the cell network similar to SMS messages. It could cause incoming calls to be delayed or lost though.
2. The VOIP service could maintain a constant active TCP/IP connection to the all registered VOIP servers so that an incoming call notification could be sent directly from the server to the VOIP service on the phone and by proxy to the app. This would be more reliable, but because the connection needs to be maintained it could drain the battery even when not receiving incoming calls depending on how often any "keep alive" messages are sent.
My guess is that option #2 is being used and it should be easy to confirm this using a packet sniffer or router logs when on Wi-Fi.
I have noticed a slight, but significant (maybe 10 to 20% over normal) drop in battery life since installing and running the Skype app yesterday on my 3GS and I never made or received any calls with it which brings me to another observation.
Virtually all (non-Apple) multitasking (fast switching) apps will stay in memory until the phone runs low on memory. When that happens apps are removed from memory (terminated) on what appears to be a first in, first out method (for the most part). The Skype app appears to be the exception to the rule. While it can be automatically terminated if memory is low, I noticed that it re-ran itself similar to how the built-in Mail and Phone apps re-run when terminated. As such, once launched it appears to literally "run" forever until either the phone is rebooted or I manually terminate the Skype app from the task tray. They way I could tell this was by using a task listing app and checking the process id number. It should be constant, but it grew when running lots of other apps.
So if you noticed poor battery life after installing and running the Skype app, try killing it from the task tray and see if your battery life goes back to normal.
cdreyer commented Thursday, Jul 22
This update would be fabulous and a game changer. However, with the massive battery drain, I have to stop the app manually after every usage. Not exactly how it was intended to be, I gather. For the record, I have an unbroken 3GS with 32GB.
aperley commented Thursday, Jul 22
@morac74 Good thoughts regarding the way Background VoIP service operates. I personally tend to think it's the first option, judging simply by the way the incoming VoIP call notification looks - pretty mush indistinguishable from a text push notification. Also, once you "Accept" the call, the actual VoIP app needs to run in order to actually accept it. I.e., the call cannot be accepted in the background without the app running (which option #2 would sort of imply), you are only notified of an incoming call request. But this is just my speculations - hopefully some developer here will shed some light as to how it actually works.
After manually killing Skype from the task tray, the battery life definitively does go back to normal. I obviously didn't have a chance to do full-day tests, but Skype drains the battery so fast it's easy to spot the (huge) difference in a few hours.
morac74 commented Thursday, Jul 22
I just checked the Apple development documentation and it is #2. The VOIP service maintains a constant connection to Skype's servers. As for how often the "keep alive" messages are sent, that's something the app programmer decides. If Skype is setting the "keep alive" frequency too high (sent very often), that would cause battery life to suffer, especially when using 3G.
aperley commented Thursday, Jul 22
@morac74 Thanks for doing the research. If that is the case, I would like an option to disable background VoIP (or decrease the "keep alive" frequency) while keeping push notifications for text. Hope Skype implements this in the next update.
spotnyk commented Thursday, Jul 22
Hey guys, thanks for the update. I think it's really great for you to get something out there, and then built on it. Much better for PR.
A few issues. I have not seen anyone mention this, and I am assuming it is because they do not use Skype for large IM conversations. We use Skype in several group chats for our company, along with individual chats with many people. This presents a problem with the new update for several reasons. All of which I assume you can fix quite easily.
1. There is no way to turn off notification of new IM messages. This would be best implemented as it is in the desktop client; notification options per chat, and a global option. However, just the global option would be a good stopgap. (This is bad enough that with active group chats your phone is almost unusable due to the constant notification popups)
2. The ability to limit the IM backlog buffer. It is far too large. Even on wifi, 2.1.0 crashed four times just trying to pull our two main discussion groups. It also causes responsiveness of the app to slow to a crawl while updating. (I know several people who do not use the app because of this alone; its far worse over 3G)
I hope that this usability feedback is helpful.
Thanks again for the update.
jokiin commented Thursday, Jul 22
list of known issues here http://skypejournal.com/blog/2010/07/21/download-skype-for-iphone-2-0-1/
dpgol88 commented Friday, Jul 23
@Peter : There is no effect on any other application. It's just that this new version of Skype seems to have issues with proxy settings while other apps work the way they used to. The proxy i use does not require any authentication either.
vhgill commented Friday, Jul 23
I have insofar been unsuccessful in staying online when putting the app into the background.
aaron.terza commented Friday, Jul 23
Cannot receive calls on my 3GS. Skype stays open and connected, but sends all calls straight to voicemail instead of ringing or pushing to the phone.
Please fix this Skype!!!!!
verisi8346 commented Friday, Jul 23
What is it about Skype support?
If I can not put your problems for you, which I can not because myself and other friends and acquaintances pred use newer versions about Skype 4.1.0.179? And Skype download and install the new version, without asking, by default.
I using Windows 7, the newest Skype version, pressing the upper, right side of the cross, I have skype will remain on the windowsills, not as a version of Skype 4.1.0.179 - skype icon go only down next to the clock.
Nowhere does not support Skype or e-mail (which can graphically show your problem).
mathesh82 commented Friday, Jul 23
Hooray!
atlast the waiting game is over!
i can talk to my mum overseas cheap NOW!
with iPhone btw
dhirujam commented Friday, Jul 23
Excellent!!! "In light of that, we no longer have plans to charge a supplement to make calls over 3G"
jonkho83 commented Friday, Jul 23
So when is Android's Version of Skype coming?? Please do not lock to one carrier when there are alot more in the world. And that's one crazy move which going to cause damage to the Skype's reputation!!!
bmosquea commented Friday, Jul 23
Excelent Guys!!!. This is a good experience on my iPhone. Great. Keep it up!
raqib.huq commented Friday, Jul 23
There are a few kinks to be worked out, for instance, switching to a text chat in landscape mode (everything becomes lower than usual, as a result, you need to exit the chat and return to actually type in the input box)
Bluetooth support is absolutely required, and an iPad UI would be a major plus. That all aside, it's a pretty good update, very few complaints here!
mathewhennessyat commented Friday, Jul 23
OUTSTANDING!! I have SkypeIn and Out, and am psyched that I'll be able to use that phone # more often.. Any word on when the iPhone 4's camera will be supported for Skype video chat?
jaggedreng commented Friday, Jul 23
Hey
Great update that finally made Skype actually extremely usefull on the Iphone. It went from not really usefull at all to a killer app with this, thx for that.
BUT one big mystery to me why no landscape text input ?? I wonder if you have tried inputting text on a Iphone in real life yourself ? It is a serious flaw that you dont allow this, and its very difficult to see why you would not implement this.
I hope this is looked upon and corrected soon.
Kind regards
Jakob
seanhsmith.com commented Friday, Jul 23
@jaggedreng -- Not sure what's going on for you but when I rotate my phone the chat window in Skype also rotates with it (along with the keyboard). Landscape typing works fine.
siuyanluk commented Friday, Jul 23
I am using ipod touch 8GB 3G. Is push notification supported? How do I activate it? I just couldn't seem to find it...
phreaklemmon commented Friday, Jul 23
Sorry for Skype, but i'll be using their service thru Nimbuzz, since they decided to block multitasking for jailbroken 3g iPhones.
I've read the article also here on this blog, stating Skype dont have to support jailbroken devices, but they also do not have to block them. I'm really getting the feeling this aint a bug.
danibley_br commented Saturday, Jul 24
C'mon people, wake up: do you really think Skype has something to do with jailbreak? LOL
I have a jailbroken 3GS (iOS 4.0) with the "no multitasking" problem. I just restore it (using pwnage tools) and skype is working fine now. It's just a bug!
robles.lloyd commented Saturday, Jul 24
Just wondering if not telling if android is next might be due to a marketing strategy?
skype haven't say yes but haven't say no... yet.
but i'll keep my fingers cross
taz_babiker commented Saturday, Jul 24
Thanks guys for the update, it works really well. Patience is a virtue!
I found that initially the app didn't work and even when I was connected to wifi I wouldn't receive notifications when the app was in the background. I deleted the app completely and reinstalled it, and now it works really well.
mystictyler commented Saturday, Jul 24
Awesome now that Skype is iOS4 compatible, but what about video calling on iPhone. I mean, iPhone 4 can do it with FaceTime and fring could do video calls aswell with Skype... until you blocked it.
matt.d.hall commented Saturday, Jul 24
Since you killed fring, why not release an android app?? Killing fring without an alternative and leaving all us android users in the dark is killing your brand name. This would be an excellent time for a competitor....say google, to steal most of your market share.
firdouse_cool commented Saturday, Jul 24
I got iPhone 3G & it's jailbroken, Skype doesn't work properly, when I switch to another app it goes offline & sign in again I don't receive any push notification either on Nimbuzz, I'm sure all other apps just works very well except these two Skype apps I jst deleted & re-install it even though it's still same. Please help me
jincos commented Sunday, Jul 25
For those complaining the multitasking doesn't work, it is because of MobileSubstrate (Jailbroken users). In order for those that are jailbroken to take advantage of the multitasking, you must go into Cydia and remove it. Yes, this means no Winterboard and no SBSettings as well as many other features that run off MobileSubstrate. In general, it has nothing to do with being jailbroken or with the Skype application in general.
dpgol88 commented Sunday, Jul 25
@Peter : I have confirmed the proxy issue. If I use skype on a wifi network where I don't need proxy it works fine and whenever I use it on the network requiring proxy(which is what is normally available to me) it doesn't. Don't you think that it should have been officially mentioned that the new update won't support proxy?
shobuprime commented Sunday, Jul 25
This was obviously a long awaited update, but it still needs improvement...
I am a big fan of Skype. It's functionality has become very useful in my daily life and I was very glad I found it so I could keep into contact with all of my friends online so I don't spend countless hours on my cell phone.
I have had Skype for approximately 6 years now and am a paying customer with both a SkypeIn and SkypeOut subscription and an unlimited US and Canada landline and mobile plan FOR ONLY $3.00 a MONTH! When this update came out, I was really upset for the long wait, but it clearly gave me (most) of everything I was longing for: IM and call notifications when the app is not open, which makes the usefulness of this app really what it was meant to be for a mobile environment. That being said, there are some DIRE IMPORTANT issues here to address about this update:
1) Battery Life: I too have fell victim to the insane battery drainage as a result of multitasking with this app, but it is not entirely Skype's fault. I have an application called System Activity Monitor which I have bought from the app store for only $2.99. I have run some tests with my home phone and my iPhone to see what clearly causes this issue. PLEASE NOTE that the battery drainage does NOT occur all of the time. From my own tests, it seems that it is a bug that occurs between Skype and ios 4. I do not know what exactly causes the issue, but I can tell you that I have had many successful calls and chat messages on Skype without having Skype draining the battery. To those who are not aware, the reason why the iPhone gets hot is because Skype hogs 70% of the CPU and is registered as a system process, NOT a user process when this bug occurs in the background. When I quit Skype, the problem is fixed. This issue needs to be fixed before any new implementation can be installed into the app.
2) No Bluetooth Support: This can be a major pain for people who like to talk to their Skype contacts while they are on the go, especially while driving. A minor workaround for this issue would only apply to people who have Skype forwarding. If someone calls you on Skype, let the forwarding service send it to your phone, then you can implement your Bluetooth functionality. What sucks about that is it can only be done if you are a subscriber, and if you RECEIVE a call. There is no full support, even while the app is open to call someone with Bluetooth. With my minor workaround, it does not bother me that much, but I hope that piece of advise may help. If background voip can not really support Bluetooth, I hope Skype will learn to communicate better with their customers to let them know exactly why it cannot be implemented.
3) No Video Chat: Skype is not only known for it's free skype-to-skype calls between multiple platforms, but it also gained fame thanks to it's free video calling. With the release of the iPhone 4, countless apps have been trying to utilize the front-facing camera to their best potential. By not supporting video, other apps (like Fring) will try to beat you to the race. I know it will take a while to implement correctly, but please be aware it is a much requested feature.
4) No Conference support: While it still is possible to talk within a conference, you cannot start it yourself through the iPhone app, you must ask other contacts within the call to add more recipients themselves.
5) No Notification Management: This can kind of get annoying when I am in a group and my phone gets flooded with ims. Although not as a big deal as the other issues, I would like to see an intelligent notification service like the one Trillian from Cerulean Studios uses. It seems to me that you guys at Skype are utilizing the tentpole of Local Notifications rather than Push Notifications that was explained in the ios 4 keynote with the Skype demo a few months back.
As I was writing this review I started with Skype already in the background, which has been for the past hour. By the time I finished writing number 4, my iPhone started to get hot and the Skype CPU hog issue started again. This helps confirm my theory that it is only a bug, not the real functionality of the app.
The verdict? I will give this app 3 stars. Although there may have been some things I missed in my review, and some things I praised, I must honestly say that the negative just barely outweighs the positive in this update. It may be able to do most of what I want it to do, but what is the use if my phone is going to die to quickly. I just got a brand new iPhone 4 and the battery has been treating me wonderfully until this update. When the bug occurs, it feels like my old 3GS, and I don't like that.
My e-mail is shobuprime@gmail.com and you may reach me on Facebook by looking me up on http://www.facebook.com/shobuprime if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
ShobuPrime
Paying Skype Customer
Sent from my iPhone
garryrobson commented Sunday, Jul 25
I have always championed Skype against the likes of the pathetic moaners of 3G becoming chargeable, the groaners who think that writing new code and completing beta testing is so easy but, the time has come to say, "what have you done Skype?"
This battery drain issue is calamitous!
Every time I quit Skype, I have to delete it from my background apps window. No option to turn off. No push. No time limits to stay on line for a set time, etc.
I've been with you about 6 or 7 years now. I wasn't expecting this.
gd-jac commented Sunday, Jul 25
Guys
My take... Due to the negative reaction they had from users re. app delay and plan to charge via G3 they decided to correct the situation which was becoming a PR and commercial nightmare by releasing the long awaited app even though some features need still refining… so give them some slack. As I said in my previous (first) post. Kudos.
firdouse_cool commented Sunday, Jul 25
@jincos- I haven't instal mobileSubstrate, winterboard or anything. I just jailbroken my iPhone only to use multitasking & background wallpaper.. 
please help me. Even my Nimbuzz doesn't support push notification & multitasking. What's wrong? I'm totally disappointed
dankron commented Monday, Jul 26
yes definitely this update is killing my battery, before i could go all day, even talking a lot on the phone... but now i can't pass lunch time without charging it again...
Skype better fix this issue... maybe using push instead of multitasking...
also would be good to have bluetooth support...
cheers
dan
georgios_paschos commented Monday, Jul 26
It seems that several users report battery issues. I haven't been able to try the updated skype on my iPhone 4 yet but I've seen skype draining my MacBook Pro's battery before. The battery drains not only when speaking on skype but also when skype is open in the background. Not sure if the same happens with the pc version of skype. I just wanted to share my observation with skype people (Peter I hope you are listening). Maybe this is a mac os - skype issue and not just an iPhone, ios4 multitasking issue after all
jtifflez commented Tuesday, Jul 27
Are you kidding me? We need to be PATIENT (and, apparently, silent) while the video calls for iphone or any smart phone are not happening? I'm getting dunned, with threat of losing my account entirely, to renew the subscription for the phone number I never got because it ended up just being a front for the "free" U.S. and Canada calls subscription I paid for... I only skype people who are fellow skypers, so you can understand my frustration at this...google is offering free video calls now; perhaps they would be willing to let us make use of those neat little webcams so many of us had assumed would be "skype-able" immediately! It truly never occured to me that skype would not have its stuff together before the iphone 4 launch. Even with the skype phone number crap, and even after the 3G stunt, I still had faith that this was a really cool company that just wanted to help people connect as much, as completely, as red-tape-free, and as inexpensively as possible. Obviously, I am as easily suckered by internet/corporate greed-heads as I am by people. And that is a damned sad statement!
jaeggli.bibliotheca commented Wednesday, Jul 28
Battery usage for multitasking seems to be very high. Even in Standby mode I had to recharge during the dayd. Is there a more economical update in th enear future? I switch it off now
rsouthgate commented Thursday, Jul 29
Just adding my voice to the growing shouts of "poor battery life". I've no idea whether this is specific to the skype app or just a problem with Apple's implementation of the background VOIP task. But for me it means this app is pretty much not multi task enabled because I have to kill it after a call if I want my phone to last any decent length of time.
If it's not Apple's fault and Skype have released buggy software then I would remind you of Robert Miller's post - that it is damaging to your brand and reputation and perhaps skype should block itself from having access to the skype network.
lovemtsp commented Thursday, Jul 29
Can anybody help me please? I can sign in on Skype website, but not on my own pc, it always say"Your Skype Nme and Password were not recognized" I am pretty sure I use the same as I sign in on website, and also I found lots of help, but non of them works, such as "Make sure you have the latest version of Skype. To check what version you have, click Help > About Skype.
Close Skype. If you have a router, reboot your router.
If you are on a network that uses a proxy server, make sure your proxy settings are correct. To check proxy settings in Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet Options > Connections > LAN settings. To check proxy settings in Skype, go to Tools > Options > Advanced > Connection.
Check your firewall settings. If you are using the Windows inbuilt firewall, click Start > Control Panel > Windows Firewall, and make sure Don't Allow Exceptions is not ticked.
If you are using a different firewall, click Start > All Programs and select your firewall. Make sure that exceptions are allowed. Go to the Exceptions tab. If Skype is listed, delete it. Start Skype. When prompted, select Yes to allow Skype to connect to the internet.
In Skype, go to Tools > Options > Advanced > Connection and then un-tick Use port 80 and 443 as alternatives for incoming connections. "
I have done all of them, but still no luck, could anybody help me please? Very much appreciated.
tm8747a commented Thursday, Jul 29
Nice to finally get backgrounding, thanks for making it available. The one issue I noticed is that the Skype app doesn't seem to necessarily stay active in the background forever. I kept my phone on for a while with Skype running and when I open it it's not in the state it was last in, it actually goes into sign in, which leads me to believe the connection was lost. Another indication is that there are times when I have calls that don't seem to come in, and after I open the app again and it signs in things work fine again. Would be nice if the backgrounding was more reliable. But for now, it's a good step in the right direction, I'm definitely happier with this new version of the product!
bobneunice commented Thursday, Jul 29
I get a message saying I am not on line although I can send Email and Web Surf. How do I reach someone who can help???????
rizwanahmed24 commented Thursday, Jul 29
since i have updated my skype to 2.0.1, i am having problem with call on 3g. i get average or poor quality. anybody having same problem as me? worth to mention here that skype 2.0 worked perfectly
emresumengen commented Friday, Jul 30
leoofborg, I believe you are really dumb
Why? Because you're making things up your .ss without knowing anything. I've got a 3GS with 4.0 Jailbroken and I DON'T EVEN HAVE MOBILE SUBSTRATE INSTALLED. But skype still cannot manage to run in the background. That seems to rule your "proofs" into a "poof" I think.
So either it's a mistake on Skype's end or it's something they did intentionally. Stop acting like an idiot.
haxxor33 commented Sunday, Aug 1
Skype, I understand you put in alot of effort to put this app into place and I appreciate that fact.
The thing is; when calling other people the call stays connected but has bad call quality, the sound keeps cutting out...
It is quite frustrating when you release a version such as this which still includes many many bugs!
No, I'm not complaining about the other bugs like jailbreak multitasking (which isn't a bug as it was intended to do as it does) or the push notifications that when you click cancel it doesn't stop the incoming call. But the bad call quality, I found version 2.0.0 to be one of the best so far!
But we should be able to change the audio Codecs that we send and receive ! For example: settings > Skype > Audio > Quality > - Skype 2.0.1
- skype 2.0.0
- Skype 1.2.2
- etc...
I think skype 1.2.2 had the best call quality so far as I could still have absolutely perfect conversations when I was over my Internet Quota! Please skype take my idea into consideration and make your brilliant app even better, I'm sure many people will appreciate it
Regards , Nick Carton
helenzeng8 commented Sunday, Aug 1
People in foreign countries are using skype to chat. But QQ is
popular in china. QQ is diversified including game,recruitment,blog
and so on. Importantly,QQ has 3g service as well.If skype and QQ merger,it is truly international.Now many smart phone offers 3g
service.3g can bring explosive business opportunities.
ollello commented Sunday, Aug 1
emresumengen: are you really sure that you don't have mobile substrate installed? It only shows in the packages list if you tap "simple" (doing that shows more installed packages) in the upper right corner. I have a friend with a jailbroken 3gs running ios 4.0 that can run skype in the background, but he doesn't have anything mobile substrate-dependant installed. I hope there will be an update to mobile substrate soon!
costanzo98031 commented Sunday, Aug 1
I just stopped using Skype on my iPhone today. The newest update crashes every time I use it. It also kills the phone's battery life and makes the phone hot! While I have no evidence of this, I suspect this is because the app locking up while running in the background, causing the kernel to run at a high level.
All I can say is I am real disappointed. I have waited a long time to utilize Skype on my iPhone. First we waited to use it over 3g then to have it run in the background… I love using Skype; however, the experience on the phone has been frustrating.
I have posted before, complaining and being very critical of delays, etc... I just wish Skype would step and address the void in this product. Is it too much to ask for the app to just work?
Josh Silverman, there are hundreds of negative comments posted from your customers regarding the iPhone application; yet, I have never seen any direct response from you to your customers.
Do you believe this is the best your company can deliver today? It would be great knowing you are listening.
Peter Parkes commented Monday, Aug 2
@costanzo98031 sorry to hear about your experience – we read every single comment posted here, and make sure they’re fed back to the relevant teams. Thanks for your feedback.
wilsonhlacerda commented Monday, Aug 2
VIDEO on ANDROID? Now you CAN!
http :// code. google. com/p/imsdroid/
(strip spaces to open link)
sof_94260 commented Monday, Aug 2
Jailbreak is now legal.
Please fix the multitasking bug with "MobileSubstrate" from Saurik in iOS4.
Thanks for everything.
stsecher commented Tuesday, Aug 3
WHY doesn't multitasking work??? I'm on jailbroken 3GS ios 4.01. If you tell me to remove mobile substrate, can you please tell me how to do that? I don't see it anywhere in cydia at all...so maybe I don't have it?? but then why is multitasking not working? Skype just closes every time I hit the home button. When I re-open it, it has to log on again... please help
donsqueak1981 commented Tuesday, Aug 3
I have I minor request:
Could Skype use local notifications to inform the user when it’s logging out automatically (when app in background)?
I have Skype running in the background, but after an unspecified time, it logs out (I imagine this happens alot when RAM runs low or something similar).
Now, it would be invaluable to know when that happens, so I can open the app again and log back in. Is that a thing you could implement?
Kind regards.
jamesbc commented Tuesday, Aug 3
Nice, but it absolutely kills battery life on my 3GS while backgrounded.
It was actually more usable *before* the background update because I didn't need to quit it after every use. Now I just avoid it.
I'm 99% certain that Skype is the problem here. I find the phone HOT and battery depleted whenever Skype is backgrounded, and never without.
ashvince commented Tuesday, Aug 3
It seems fairly obvious to me that you guys have taken money from Apple in order to give better support to the iPhone than you will ever will Android.
This is just like the money you receive from Intel in order to limit conference calls to 5 people on non-intel proccesors, regardless of actual CPU spec.
You must be laughing all the way to the bank being you now also take cash from Verizon in order to release a limited version of Skype just for them and make sure it doesn't support wifi.
This sort of anti-competitive behaviour is far more damaging to your corporate image than Fring ever could have been.
pelosm commented Tuesday, Aug 3
It is clear that skype doesn't work correctly with jailbroken iphones when multitasking. Every time that you press the home button and put skype on the multitask bar it signs off from the account.
There are 2 solutions for this problem, the first it to delete mobile substrate from cydia, however i do not recommend doing this because in my view there is no point of having a jailbroken iphone without the apps you get due to mobile substrate. The second solution which worked perfectly for me, is to download the backgrounder application from cydia. When logged in to skype on WIFI or 3G simply press the home button for a couple of seconds until you see the message Backgrounding Enabled. Skype will then be visible in the multitask thingy and will stay online on either 3G or WIFI. You can now answer calls at any time and moment. Hope this helps
donsqueak1981 commented Wednesday, Aug 4
@pelosm You don’t even have to activate Skype manually every time in backgrounder. Just set the global behaviour of backgrounder to “native backgrounding”; that solves the problem after a restart of Skype (quit through task bar necessary).
ultraacid commented Wednesday, Aug 4
Ok. There is solution:
Go to the Cydia, press "Changes" You must see few updates and one from it is "Mobile substate". Press Update all, confirm, restart phone. All done. Skype now is running in background perfecty.. 
anderson_passos commented Wednesday, Aug 4
Amazing update, amazing decision.
My main reason for jailbreaking my iPhone was to install backgrounder and Voip over 3G.
No more jailbreaking for me.
leoofborg commented Wednesday, Aug 4
@ollello Tonight Saurik updated MobileSubstrate to FINALLY work with Skype. Borked 'view full profile' is fixed, and multitasking (including tapping on the red bar) also works.
To the other somewhat rude user above-- when you jailbreak it becomes YOUR responsibility to troubleshoot. It's not Apple's, Skype's or my problem. I sent a bug report to Saurik and there's an update that seems to fixe the issues. Happy?
To other users: Even tho' Saurik wrote that 'MS is now compatible w Skype' there *may* be minor bugs. Again this is not Skype's problem. A **polite** email to Saurik is called for **if** you find a bug. For me the most 'serious' bugs are 'fixed.' YMMV.
mark.hadley commented Wednesday, Aug 4
*WARNING* - Battery Killer!!!!!
Works well (32GB 3GS, iOS 4.0.1) and sits nicely in the background, BUT battery performance is impacted and you cannot switch skype off without resetting the device
Also, if you get an incoming skype call that you answer on your laptop then the iPhone app keeps ringing even thought your already connected to the call!!!
its a good update but flawed in some key areas, back to the drawing board me thinks....
regikono commented Wednesday, Aug 4
FIXED!!!
For your jailbreak device, just go to Cydia and update the new mobile substrator version and other linked apps.
Skype tested and working now!
Thanks to the cydia community!
garafraxa commented Wednesday, Aug 4
Thanks Skype, goodbye long distance charges. Sound quality is remarkable over 3G, caller do not know I am using Skype.
When can I get my online number in Canada?
foxyfactor commented Thursday, Aug 5
I have the new update for Iphone for Skype, but I have this badge in the corner with a number one. I am EXTREMELY computer and phone savvy and I CANNOT figure out where this badge came from. One time, i missed a call from my husband and he left a voicemail...I deleted the voicemail AND cleared ALL chat and call history and the badge is still there. I have NO new contacts or friend requests, and no voicemails, and no chats...does ANYONE know how to clear this stupid ting??? please send me a message to my skype thanks!!! (it's foxyfactor)
ollello commented Friday, Aug 6
Yeah, it's nice that mobile substrate finally got updated! I think it works OK in the background, not that much battery drain here. Would be cool to get a message if you're logged out though.
Now I have another problem, I don't know if it's because of my jailbreak or not but anyways:
When I've made a call with skype, ALL phone sounds comes out of the earpiece instead of the loudspeaker in the bottom. It also messes with the headphone jack volume, making it much lower. After a reboot it gets back to normal.
Anyone else having this problem?
qingshuo commented Friday, Aug 6
Battery consumption is dramatically higher and the phone runs notably warmer just by leaving skype running in the background! Killing the app using the "long-press and close" method immediately brings everything back to normal. Either there's a bug or Skype needs to rethink its method of keeping a persistent connection: Beejive and Meebo have pulled this off without killing the battery.
amanpatel81 commented Friday, Aug 6
I second qingshuo's comment about battery life drain even when the phone is sleeping. I would have 100% charge when I sleep and when I wake up in the morning the phone would only have about 60-65%
georgios_paschos commented Monday, Aug 9
So I spoke with heavy users of skype and they report battery drainage on their pc laptops when they have skype on for hours. I also tested skype on my iPhone 4 and I don't have an issue, the battery life is great. Thanks skype!
sara.antunovich commented Monday, Aug 9
How do I stop getting chat notifications on my iPhone while I'm chatting on my computer? I find that this is such a waste of battery life and extremely annoying. Doesn't it see that I'm using my computer, that I'm replying?
sara.antunovich commented Monday, Aug 9
Ah double clicked and removed it from the running apps. That stopped the notifications.
johnmusgravebolanos commented Tuesday, Aug 10
My wife and I both have iPhone4's with IOS4.1 and the latest Skype app. We have been both experiencing wifi call problems. The app sees the network and we can dial (we purchased a pay package to call overseas land lines). However, 8/10 times we get a message showing network speed issues and the other person cannot hear us. I have done a speedtest.net test on the line using the iphone, laptop (wifi) and cabled network PC - all return an average speed of 6.00 mbps. The laptop running Skype calls OK and we don't have problems. Only the iPhones (both) have this problem - even sitting next to the access point/router. Any advice/support would be appreciated. We have closed apps that are multi-tasking, turned on/off, reset the router - but the same thing happens.
John
davidnelson291283 commented Thursday, Aug 12
i'm having the same problem as johnmusgravebolanos, its absolutely disgusting that skype charge for a call where you only hear the other end ring once and then you hear nothing at all or at best a few muffled noises.
ilyrajib commented Friday, Aug 13
In next update, please put video chat, though I'm using 3Gs, but still, I want it. That would be awesome !!
alex.agueros.nunez commented Saturday, Aug 14
My battery drain also noticed the phone getting warm . 32GB 3GS, iOS 4.0.1 JB
tried backgrounder first and worked but battery problem and now with updated MobileSubstrate working but battery still a problem.
xwaredx commented Sunday, Aug 15
Peter, I noticed a few people asked, but have not seen a response to the question: are video calls from the iPhone to other Skype clients (PC etc.) something that Skype is working towards within the next few weeks or months, or will it be much longer before that type of technology is released?
On a side note, I was curious if there is a public beta testing group? As a software developer and personal user of Skype, I would be interested in how to sign up.
Has anyone else had the issue: after completing a call using Skype, all audio goes through the ear-piece on the phone instead of the speaker?
Thanks,
Matt
forestforecast commented Tuesday, Aug 17
When iPhone goes to sleep mode while Skype in background, all listening tcp ports (like 80, 443, 49026) used by Skype are closed. At the same time, Skype starts to hog 100% of CPU. Do these have any relations?
hcdworld commented Saturday, Aug 21
This new version sucks battery in the background.. on a 3GS ios 4.0.1 I was down to 22% in 6 hours without even using the phone except 1-2 short phone calls.
ashokag99 commented Wednesday, Aug 25
Same experience as soooooo many comments here. Killed a freshly charged battery on my 3GS ios 4.0.2 in 4 hours while running in background.
If they cant fix it quickly, they need to issue a "recall" by releasing an update which reverses the earlier update that allowed Skype to run in the background. I had to un-install Skype from my iPhone.
elkaaboing commented Thursday, Aug 26
OK, I downloaded the Skype app on my iPhone 4 specifically for video calling, since I'm having problems with FaceTime. I also heard that Skype works over 3G, the implication being that video calling over 3G would be possible. Now i find that the Skype app does not support video calling on iPhone at all, even over wifi. So the only advantage on iPhone is to avoid using AT&T minutes (which I never max out), and the price for this is significantly higher battery usage. Its not worth it to me. I'll stay tuned. When and if Skype adds hassle-free video calling, I'll use it for that. Otherwise, I'll probably keep it logged off for now.
jamesrichardcook commented Friday, Sep 3
Leaving Skype just running in the background (iOS4), with no use at all of any other application, or even the Skype itself, drains the battery at a speed of 10% per hour. So, we can only use Skype for placing calls, and must close it completely after use, or will soon be out of battery.
averkiev commented Saturday, Sep 4
Have you guys noticed how arrogant skype management is?! The internet is full of users complaining about battery drain under iOS 4 and Skype people has even comment on this issue?
I run software development business myself and I cannot imagine a situation if there is a bug in my product and I wouldn’t even give any reply to users complaining about it.
Companies that don’t give a damn about their customers deserve to go down.
mahmood_iphone commented Sunday, Sep 12
my two days of using the Skype on Iphone 3GS
started to find the phone getting very hot, and high battery drainage.
So i concur with all the people complaining on this forum about BATTERY DRAINAGE.
Skype, u need to fix this!
else all this multitasking is of no use!
i myself am going back to using Skype for call only mode (which is pathetic)
azorzet commented Monday, Sep 13
I have two of the same issues as several people mentioned here:
Iphone 4
1. I get logged out from Skype after a few hours when I have skype in the background. So, people cannot call me. It also seems to take very long time to log in when I open the app manually.
2. When I use skype on wifi, 8/10 times I get a message showing network speed issues and the other person cannot hear me. I have done a test on the line using the iphone, that returns an average speed of 6.00 mbps. I have full wifi coverage according to the wifi bars. Switching to 3G calling, even with something like 3 bars makes the call quality better! Any advice/support would be appreciated.
chrisgrey1953 commented Tuesday, Sep 14
I and a number of my friends have iOS4.1 installed and experience power drain when Skype is running in the background. For some this means that they have to choose to either recharge their phone twice a day or not have Skype running in the background. I have a Mophie on my iPhone which basically gives me two batteries and I still need to recharge every day. I am looking at my phone right now and the only app that is in the multitasking 'tray' is Skype. I had 100% charge at 0600. It is now 1000 and I have lost 25% power. All I have done is make ONE Skype call of about 1 minute duration. No email reading, no internet browsing, no games played. Just Skype running in the background.
Can Skype PLEASE comment on this even if it is to say that they don't know what is causing it.
mikenoeljimenez commented Tuesday, Sep 14
Works ok, but drains the battery like a sieve even when plugged in, i was losing battery while participating in a group chat... Fix this!!!!
rtsengasia commented Monday, Sep 27
Agree this is a big problem with my iPhone 4... At least happy to find out that it's isolated to the Skype app and not a problem with my whole phone...
tehnrd commented Monday, Sep 27
There is definitely a battery consumption issue when this app is running in the background. Two months and still no fix or additional information is disappointing.
daniel_eccleston commented Monday, Sep 27
the skype iphone 4 app is good but it will only be GREAT when you add video calling with front facing camera
rxaviers commented Wednesday, Oct 20
azorzet, I have the same issues as you are having.
1) I'm using iPhone 3GS. When I put skype in the background it logs out from and people cannot call me.
2) When I open the app manually, it takes a very long time to log in. Sometimes it never logs in and I need to shut the phone down.