Unknown

Group Chat

Video Calling

Encrypted Chat

Skype is the most popular free voice-over IP and instant messaging service globally. It allows users to text, video and voice call over the internet. Users can also call landlines and mobiles at competitive rates using Skype credit, premium accounts and subscriptions.

Features:
&#183;       Find all of your friends and family in an instant - search for friends, groups, conversations or new contacts on Skype. With over 300 million people using Skype, you’re bound to bump into someone you know.
&#183;        Call your world for free - Free voice and video calls let you talk to your heart’s content with all your friends and family on Skype.
&#183;        Make low cost calls to mobiles and landlines - Keep in touch with anyone even if they’re not on Skype, with low cost calls to mobiles and landlines.
&#183;        Instantly get in touch - No matter where you are, your friends are always available with free instant messaging.
&#183;        Share moments - Send photos, record and send video messages, share your location or share web content with the people who matter most.
&#183;    Available for Apple Watch - see your notifications and chat on your Apple Watch so you’re always part of the conversation.
&#183;        Skype is available everywhere - on smartphones, tablets, Macs, PCs, and even TVs. Whatever your friends or family use, Skype is there. Simple.


 The Skype that you use at home is great for smaller businesses of up to 20 employees. It is free to use, unless you want to buy credit to make calls to landlines and mobiles.

Skype for Business lets you add up to 250 people to online meetings, gives you enterprise-grade security, allows you to manage employee accounts, and is integrated into your Office apps. It costs from $2 per month per user.

Skype

Windows

Linux

Online

Android

iPhone

Chrome OS

Android Tablet

Windows Phone

iPad

Android Wear

PortableApps.com

Skype is the most popular free voice-over IP and instant messaging service globally. It allows users to text, video and voice call over the internet. Users can also call landlines and mobiles at competitive rates using Skype credit, premium accounts and subscriptions.

Though many chat and messaging programs like Skype and Discord feature support for sharing your screen on desktops, there aren't as many available that can do the same thing on mobile devices running iOS or Android. Luckily, one of the biggest messaging apps is changing that.

Microsoft announced via [a post on its official community](https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/skype/forum/all/skype-preview-introducing-screen-sharing-on-mobile/911e1753-16dc-4fb8-b0ca-c836547509b5?auth=1) that support for sharing your phone's screen is now available on the latest insider build. In order to enable screen sharing in the app, all users will have to do is tap on the ... icon in the lower right-hand corner of the app and select "Share Screen."

Screen sharing support will be coming to the public stable release of [Skype](/software/skype/) for [Android](/software/android/) and [iOS](/software/ios/) soon.

Further coverage:
[Microsoft Community](https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/skype/forum/all/skype-preview-introducing-screen-sharing-on-mobile/911e1753-16dc-4fb8-b0ca-c836547509b5?auth=1)
[The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/12/18307442/skype-mobile-screen-sharing-ios-android-feature-beta)
[Engadget](https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/12/skype-screen-sharing-ios-android-app/)

Skype will now let you share your screen on smarthphones

Microsoft Bing

Microsoft's commitment to delivering innovative AI-powered solutions in [Microsoft Bing](/software/bingcom/about/) and Edge continues to thrive, as the company marks 100 days since introducing a new era of search. Throughout this period, Microsoft has actively incorporated user feedback to enhance the search experience for both loyal Bing users and newcomers alike. In line with their mission, Microsoft is unveiling a range of exciting updates and features for mobile devices, reinforcing their dedication to transforming search through AI advancements.

This week, Bing users can anticipate a substantial enhancement in their mobile search experience. The recently announced features, [which were covered in our previous report in early May](https://alternativeto.net/news/2023/5/microsoft-s-bing-chat-enters-open-preview-with-exciting-new-features/), are now being introduced, enhancing the richness and depth of the Bing experience on desktop and mobile platforms. Alongside the previously announced updates, users can now enjoy access to engaging videos, Knowledge Cards, interactive graphs, improved formatting, and seamless social sharing capabilities within their chat conversations. One of the most anticipated updates is [the introduction of chat history](https://alternativeto.net/news/2023/5/microsoft-s-bing-chatbot-now-allows-users-to-access-past-chats-in-chat-history/), which will be available initially on mobile, and later on desktop. With this feature, users can effortlessly track and review recent chat activity by simply tapping on the clock-inspired icon.

But things do not end there, since new features are also coming to other brand apps, such as:

- Enhanced Bing, SwiftKey, Edge, and Skype Apps:

The popularity of Bing mobile has soared, evidenced by an eightfold increase in daily downloads since the launch of the new Bing. In response to the growing demand, Microsoft is introducing forthcoming updates to the Bing, SwiftKey, Edge, and Skype apps, aimed at enriching the mobile search experience. Users can look forward to features such as the addition of a Bing widget to the home screen, enabling quick access to Bing Chat, as well as the ability to seamlessly continue conversations between desktop and mobile devices. Furthermore, voice input and multilingual chat improvements will provide users with an extensive selection of languages and voices to customize their Bing experience according to their preferences.

- SwiftKey's AI-Powered Capabilities:
 
[Microsoft SwiftKey](/software/swiftkey/about/), the renowned AI-powered keyboard, now offers even more functionality with the addition of the Compose feature. Users can rely on SwiftKey to draft text, considering parameters such as subject matter, tone, format, and length, thus alleviating the burden of administrative tasks. Furthermore, the integration of Microsoft's AI-powered translator into the SwiftKey keyboard enables effortless translation in any language supported by Bing, allowing users to stay connected with friends and family around the world. These features will be available to all users across [iOS](/software/ios/about/) and [Android](/software/android/about/) devices in the coming weeks.

- Edge's Contextual Chat and Selected Text Actions:

[Microsoft Edge](/software/microsoft-edge/about/) mobile users will soon enjoy an enhanced browsing experience with the introduction of contextual chat and selected text actions. By simply tapping on the Chat icon, users can engage with Bing Chat to ask questions related to the content they are viewing or request content summaries. Additionally, selecting text and choosing Bing from the options menu will provide users with in-depth context, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of the text by accessing related sources and clear summaries.

- Enriching Skype Group Chats with Bing:

Microsoft aims to provide a seamless search experience within [Skype](/software/skype/about/) group chats. Users can now tag @Bing directly within group conversations to benefit from the AI-powered features it offers. Whether generating a list of discussed places of interest or suggesting new ideas, Bing's capabilities can now be easily accessed without the need for participants to search for Bing separately. This feature is being gradually rolled out and will be available to all Skype users in the coming days.

These are just some of the major enhancements [mentioned by Microsoft on their blog](https://blogs.bing.com/search/may_2023/Continuing-to-deliver-new-AI-innovation-in-Bing-and-Edge-this-week), but developers can expect to learn more about the Bing AI platform at the upcoming Build conference, where Microsoft will provide insights into how they can leverage this technology for both PC and mobile applications. This emphasis on empowering developers highlights Microsoft's commitment to fostering innovation and driving the future of AI-powered search experiences.

Microsoft presents exciting updates and features for AI-powered search on mobile devices, including Bing, Edge and more!

Another popular voice and video chat service has added mass group call functionality: this time, it's Skype, which now supports up to 100 people on a voice or video call at the same time.

Microsoft has released version 8.66 of its [Skype](/software/skype/) chat application. The main draw is, no doubt, its newly added support for up to 100 simultaneous group call participants. This is double the previous limit of 50.

According to the [official release notes](https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/skype/forum/all/release-notes-for-skype-866/3dd011bd-8aec-472d-8dc9-4aff95d900f6), this functionality will be available across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and web-based Skype apps. It joins bug fixes related to automatic language switching, file downloading and uploading, and new messages not properly showing up at the top of the Recent Messages section.

Support for 100 people on a group call simultaneously is "rolling out gradually over the next couple of days," according to Microsoft, so don't be alarmed if you don't yet have the option. For those that need mass group call functionality now, [Microsoft Teams](/software/microsoft-teams/) supports up to 300 people in a single call.

Further coverage:
[Release Notes](https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/skype/forum/all/release-notes-for-skype-866/3dd011bd-8aec-472d-8dc9-4aff95d900f6)
[Neowin](https://www.neowin.net/news/skype-866-begins-rolling-out-with-support-for-up-to-100-call-participants)

Skype 8.66 is now available, bringing with it support for 100-person group calls

Microsoft did not implement proper security measures when outsourcing the handling of its users' audio recordings.

According to a former Microsoft contractor in an interview with The Guardian, Microsoft ran its [Cortana](/software/cortana/) and [Skype](/software/skype/) audio transcription program in China with minimal vetting of those who worked with the program. The contractor said the following:

"There were no security measures. I don’t even remember them doing proper KYC [know your customer] on me. I think they just took my Chinese bank account details. After a while, [they] allowed me to do it from home in Beijing. I judged British English (because I’m British), so I listened to people who had their Microsoft device set to British English, and I had access to all of this from my home laptop with a simple username and password login... They just give me a login over email and I will then have access to Cortana recordings. I could then hypothetically share this login with anyone."

This lack of oversight should give any privacy conscious person pause before using Cortana or Skype for remotely important or personal information. A good privacy focused alternative for group audio and video conversations can be found in [Wire](/software/wire/), with alternatives to voice assistance not being quite as easy to pin down. An open source voice assistant, [Mycroft](/software/mycroft-ai--open-source-voice-assistant/), is available for Linux, Android, and Raspberry Pi.

Further coverage:
[The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jan/10/skype-audio-graded-by-workers-in-china-with-no-security-measures)
[Gizmodo](https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-outsourced-skype-cortana-voice-analysis-to-c-1840935163)

Skype will now let you share your screen on smarthphones

Related news

Skype on AlternativeTo

Comments on 'Skype will now let you share your screen on smarthphones'