Microsoft Redesigning Skype to Make it Simpler to Use; Killing All Snapchat-like Features

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 3 Sep 2018

Skype logo

Last year, Microsoft rolled out a full-fledged redesign of Skype which introduced Snapchat-like Highlights feature. The move led to the company receiving a lot of backlash since instead of focusing on improving the core features of the messaging service, Microsoft was busy adding unnecessary features to it. Now, Microsoft has announced that it is going to redesign Skype once again and ditch the Highlights feature.

In its announcement, Microsoft admits that calling “became harder to execute” and so the company is taking a step back to simplify the overall experience of using Skype. The redesign will focus on the fundamentals and make it easier and faster to make calls and send messages.

Skype redesign

To make it easier to navigate around the app, Microsoft is removing all unnecessary features from Skype. It is also moving three important features — Chats, Calls, and Contacts — to provide users with instant access to it. Apart from Highlights, Microsoft is also removing the Capture feature from Skype.

The desktop Skype app is also getting a similar redesign that focuses more on simplifying the navigation experience and does away with features that were not used much. It will also gain a “Classic” blue theme and other UI elements have been toned down to ensure a distraction-free experience.

Skype-Desktop

Microsoft is keeping an open ear to user feedback. It has opened a UserVoice site so that Skype users can vote and prioritize the features they want.

Skype has already lost plenty of users to WhatsApp, Telegram, and other chat messaging services. To win back enterprise customers, the company needs to pull its socks up and focus on its core features which should help it in winning back its lost users.

[Via Skype]