The Big Blog

Bring Your Social Network To Life

Back in July, Facebook video calling powered by Skype was launched. Today we are thrilled to announce our partnership with Facebook has reached yet another milestone with the launch of Skype 5.4 Beta for Mac and Skype 5.7 Beta for Windows allowing you to conduct a Facebook-to-Facebook call from within Skype. This new development in the Skype-Facebook partnership is the latest example of how Skype is removing communication barriers and making it easier to connect with friends, family and business colleagues. Our approach to social is about personal connections with people. We are on a mission to connect over one billion people and our continued partnership with Facebook brings us one step closer to this goal.

Initiating a Facebook-to-Facebook call from within Skype is quite easy; all you need to do is connect your Skype and Facebook accounts. Then, select a Facebook friend and hit the video call button in Skype- your friend simply picks up the call from Facebook. This new feature lets you maintain social connections with your Facebook friends and compliments previously announced features such as being able to see when your Facebook friends are online, read their status updates and IM them all from Skype.

Besides this great new Facebook feature, additional new features added to Skype 5.4 Beta for Mac and Skype 5.7 Beta for Windows including video rendering giving a smoother video experience for Mac users and group screen sharing for Windows users with a Premium subscription (group screen sharing is currently available for Mac users). Users who are chatting one-on-one will also be able to screen share with live video streaming.

We're excited about these new enhancements and we would love for you to download the latest version of Skype so you can bring your social network to life with Skype. If you would like to discuss this new release or have any questions, please feel free to visit our new Skype Support Network.

New Facebook Integration with Skype 5.4 for Mac OS X Beta

You may have noticed that we now release updates for Skype for Mac quicker than ever before. We've released a number of updates in 2011 which included, amongst other features, a brand new interface, video call control bar and HD-quality video calling.

Today we're launching Skype 5.4 for Mac Beta. The launch introduces the same Facebook integration found in Skype 5.5 for Windows. We are excited to finally deliver Facebook integration to our Mac users.

Just like in our Windows client, you will now be able to IM and connect with your Facebook friends without leaving Skype. You will also be able to read and update your News Feed, as well as comment and 'Like' your Facebook friends' posts - all within Skype for Mac. To connect to Facebook, simply sign into Skype, click on the Connect to Facebook tab and enter your Facebook sign in details.

We are also introducing an advertising platform in this new release, but if you are a paying Skype consumer or have Skype Credit, you won't see any display ads; similar to the model that is currently being used in our Skype for Windows client.

As always, we kindly ask that you download Skype 5.4 for Mac OS X Beta now to experience all that Skype for Mac has to offer.

If you want to discuss this new release or have any questions, please feel free to visit our new Skype Support Network. We hope you enjoy the latest updates in Skype 5.4 for Mac OS X Beta.

Lion Support & HD Video Calls with Skype 5.3 for Mac OS X

On the heels of our recent update to Skype 5.2 for Mac OS X, we are pleased to announce that we are making even more improvements to our Mac client with the release of Skype 5.3 for Mac OS X. Along with a number of fixes and improvements to the user interface, Skype 5.3 will feature support for the new Mac Lion and HD Video Calls.

Skype 5.3 for Mac OS X is built to work with Apple's newest desktop operating system, Lion, in addition to being compatible with past versions of OS X going all the way back to Leopard.

With Skype 5.3 for Mac OS X, you'll also be able to send and receive HD quality video when talking to your friends and family. You'll need to use the Mac's built-in HD webcam or choose from a variety of webcams from our Skype Shop, such as the Logitech C910, to make video calls in crystal clear HD quality. To receive clear HD video calls on your Mac, we recommend an upload/download speed of 1.5Mbps.

As with all updates, we ask that you download the most recent Skype update to take advantage of these recent features. If you have any questions or comments on the latest Skype software for Mac, please feel free to visit our new Skype Support Network. We hope you enjoy the new updates in Skype 5.3 for Mac OS X.

Skype Now Optimized for your iPad

Since the introduction of Skype for iPhone with video calling on New Year's Eve 2010, we've seen growing demand for a Skype app for the iPad.

The wait is over, as today we launched Skype for iPad now available for download in the iTunes App Store.

Skype for iPad is beautifully designed and optimized for the iPad. It offers the best of both worlds for users who want a larger Skype experience, on-the-go. The large iPad screen is perfect for bringing Skype video calls to life, in either landscape or portrait view, and because it is on the iPad, Skype video calls can be made at the beach, in a car or even lying on a couch.

Not only does Skype for iPad feature an interface that takes advantage of the large screen, but there are a number of additional iPad-optimized features found in this new app, including:

• Two-way video calling.* With Skype video calling available on iPhones, as well as in Skype for Android, Skype for Mac, Skype for Windows, Skype on HDTVs and more - you can connect to over 170 million Skype connected users worldwide**.


• Instant messaging. You can even instant message during a video call on your iPad, with emoticons to personalize your message.


• Simple to view contacts. Contacts are now displayed in a grid on Skype for iPad, showing large avatar photos - making it easy to find your contacts and conversations.


• Easy navigation. Find your recent Skype conversations and history at the touch of a button making searching simple.


• Simple SMS texting. An SMS text message can be sent by simply opening a contact and selecting SEND SMS or by opening the dial pad, typing in the number you wish to SMS and then typing your message.

The new Skype for iPad app also takes full advantage of the iPad 2's dual cameras, allowing users to talk face-to-face with the iPad's front camera or switch to the rear camera to show what they can see. Skype for iPad also allows users to call landlines and mobiles using Skype's great low rates - all a user needs is a little Skype Credit. Skype for iPad works across both 3G*** and Wi-Fi networks and also allows users to make voice and video calls across platforms from their iPad to other Skype users on iPhones, Mac, Windows, HDTVs and more.

* iOS version 4.0 or later required. iPad 1st Generation cannot send video, but can receive video.
**average monthly connected users for the three months ended 30 June 2011.
*** operator data charges may apply

The Skype Team's Top 12 Tricks and Tips for 5.2 Mac Users

As you can imagine, we use Skype rather a lot and make use of shortcuts to help us move around Skype faster. Some Skype for Mac users will probably be familiar with these options already, but we know lots don't. These little shortcuts help you save time, manage conversations better and generally improve how you use the latest version of Skype for Mac.

There are a lot of shortcuts to choose from, so we've put the Mac team's top 12 tricks and tips together in one place.

Currently, our most popular tricks and tips are number 5 (Push to Talk) which makes Skype work like a walkie-talkie when you're on mute, and number 10 (Dial pad) which helps you make internet calling to a landline or mobile without taking your hands of the keyboard - surprisingly, a huge timesaver.

If you use a shortcut that we haven't mentioned, please take a second to add it as a comment to the Facebook post so other Mac users can try them out. And, if you want to find out more about some of its great features, like group screen share, check out our earlier announcement.

New Skype 5.2 Update for Mac Brings Group Screen Sharing and Improved Multi-tasking

We are excited to announce that the Skype 5.2 update for Mac is now available for download.

With this new update, Skype for Mac users can now share their screen during a group video call. While screen sharing is already available for free on a one-to-one Skype call, group screen sharing makes communication and collaboration on group calls even richer by enabling people to view presentations, photos and documents on a participant's screen, perfect for presenting a document to colleagues knowing they can't skip slides in advance or for sharing holiday photos with friends and family.

To take advantage of group video calling and group screen sharing, one or more call participants must have a Skype Premium subscription. To find out more about Skype Premium subscriptions or start a free seven-day trial, click here.

If you multi-task during a video call, you'll love the introduction of video in the call control bar. With Skype 5.2 for Mac, if you're on a video call and wish to switch to another program, you can still see the person you're talking to, as well as be able to hang up, or mute - all from the call control bar. We know lots of you have asked for this feature over the last few months - we hope you find it useful.

We've also made it easier to find your most active conversations under Recents in the sidebar and added a history section where you can see those that are less active. Overall, with Skype 5.2 for Mac, you'll find your conversation list less cluttered and easier to navigate through.

Lastly, we often hear from advanced Skype for Mac users who are looking for - or even want to share - tips and shortcuts for enhancing their Skype experience. A guide to many of our favorites Tips and Tricks is now available here and is loaded with tips that will further improve the Skype for Mac user experience and make navigating Skype quicker.

You can download Skype 5.2 for Mac for free here today.

An update on Skype for Mac

Over the last few days we’ve seen renewed interest in the design of Skype for Mac, and I’m going to give you some insight into our thinking and into our plans to address some of your concerns.

Some background: at Skype, we build products for users ranging from grandmothers in China to 15 year old students in Connecticut – and everyone else in between. We take a huge number of factors into consideration when designing software: from different usage patterns (video/voice/IM) to technical literacy; from age to cultural norms. All of these have an impact on everything from product and process design, user interface layout, iconography and more. And given this diversity of design decisions, some of them occasionally fail to please segments of our users. I’d like to reiterate our commitment to one segment in particular – those of you who’ve been vocal in your feedback on the most recent versions of Skype for Mac.

The shift in user experience from 2.8 to 5.X is a significant one, and we acknowledge that this was a lot to have delivered to existing users in a single update. Nevertheless, we believe that the 5.X platform offers significant advantages over the previous versions for the majority of our users, and this is borne out in the usage and opinion data we’re seeing from the Mac user base as a whole.

However, there’s still plenty of work for us to do and we know that not all of you prefer 5.X. To that end, we’ve taken a comprehensive look at the feedback from the last couple of months and identified two broad patterns. I’ve captured a distillation of some of the issues we have heard.

Some of you want to be able to multitask more within Skype

We’ve seen a number of comments from people who want to be able to make video calls and have IM conversations at the same time, or have multiple IM conversations visible at once – and many more permutations and combinations. If you’re in this group, you probably find the current 5.X interface less flexible than 2.8.

What are we doing about this? Two things. First, we’re making Skype 2.8 available for download from our website, and it’ll be available for the foreseeable future. Note that it doesn’t let you make (or participate in) group video calls, nor does it contain all of the performance improvements we’ve made in 5.X. But the last thing we want is to prevent you from using software you prefer.

Second, we’re planning to make some additional changes which will allow you to multitask more effectively within Skype, including a change to the UI which will allow you to continue an IM conversation with one person or group while participating in a video call with another, or when switching to another app.

It’s also worth pointing out the call monitor window, which has been in 5.X since the beginning, which shows you the status of the current call, allowing you to adjust volume, mute, and so on, no matter what you’re looking at. Additionally, the compact sidebar view should help you navigate quickly among a larger number of concurrent IM conversations.

Some of you want to be able to multitask more between Skype and other apps

This is how we interpret feedback about the overall ‘size’ of Skype. Many of you have commented about the size of the Skype window, and published screenshots of how you use Skype 2.8 in conjunction with other apps.

We introduced the contact monitor panel in 5.X, which gives you an easy way to see your contacts’ status while you’re doing other things. To display it, just press Command-3. You can choose whether you see all of your contacts, or just a certain group or groups.

On the other hand, we will be sticking with the metaphor of a primary, combined window which newer users and less frequent users find easier to learn. We plan to introduce overlay panels like the contact monitor to provide additional flexibility for those of you who need it.

The future of Skype on the Mac

Mac OS X continues to be a very important platform for us, and we’re very privileged to have such an active and vocal user community on the Mac platform. As Krishna said in his previous blog post, we’re moving to a much more rapid delivery cycle for our products, which should give us opportunities to iterate and improve on aspects of functionality and experience in a much shorter timeframe than we’ve been able to in the past. We’re committed to delivering regular improvements to the product – and those listed above are part of a direct response to your feedback. Please keep it coming.

Customise Skype for Mac in our theme design competition

Calling all designers! This is your opportunity to customise Skype for Mac. We’ve just launched our chat style competition to kick things off. When we first launched our new Mac app, we were delighted to see so many custom styles emerge from the design community, so we thought we’d make it official.

Between now and the 29th April, we’re inviting you to design your own chat style for Skype for Mac. We’ve assembled a team of experts to choose the very best, and if you’re the winner, we’ll include your design in a future version of Skype for Mac so that it can be enjoyed by millions of people around the world (as well as giving you a brand new MacBook Air, an iPad 2 and a year’s subscription to Unlimited World Extra).

The competition will run over three stages, each lasting three weeks. Two winners will be selected at the end of each stage; a judges’ choice winner that will be selected by our panel and a people’s choice winner, as voted for by all of you. These six winners will go forward as finalists for the grand prize. There are more prizes for runners-up, including iPads and copies of CSS3 for Web Designers – check the competition page for details.

Today also marks the release of a minor update to Skype for Mac. You’ll start to see these a lot more frequently now, as we move from our annual release cycle to a process which will allow us to get you updates much more regularly. This new version includes improvements to the group video calling interface, increases the amount of space in the sidebar and gives you quick access to recently called numbers from the dial pad. You can find out more on the Garage blog, or download it now.

Finally, a note to those of you who have commented on the user interface as a whole. We’re in the process of developing some changes which will offer a lot more flexibility in the interface, and they’re on the roadmap for a (near) future version. Stay tuned.

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.