3 simple cures for lingering Skype headaches

3 simple cures for lingering Skype headaches

When you want to make video calls and message people, there are tons of options available, including Hangouts, Facebook Messenger, Line, and Viber. Yet even with all the choices out there, the majority of my messaging activity still happens on Skype, and I'd bet that's the case for a lot of people.

But Skype kind of sucks. It’s no longer the simplified chat app it once was. It’s a big program with too many features and even a few surprises you may not know about.
Here are a few tweaks you can make to simplify and improve your Skype experience. This article is based on version 7.10.0.101 running on Windows 10, but if you have the latest version of Skype on Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 it should offer the same options.

Get off the taskbar

Skype lets you banish it from the taskbar

Skype is one of those programs that just can’t take a hint. When I close the window, I still want Skype to run but I don’t want it sitting in my taskbar—that’s why we have a system tray.
To banish Skype from your taskbar when you close the program’s window, go to Tools > Options > Advanced > Advanced Settings. Now uncheck the box that says “Keep Skype in the taskbar while I’m signed in.” Finally, click Save and whenever you close the Skype window it will no longer continue to sit in your taskbar.

It’s still running so you can receive calls and messages, however. If you want to open the Skype window again click on the upward facing arrow on the right side of your taskbar, right-click the Skype icon, and select Open Skype.

Go old school

I don’t really like Skype’s space-wasting interface. The good news is, at its core, Skype hasn’t changed that much over the years. You’ve still got a list of Skype contacts, and when you click one of them you get options to type a message or start a call.

To get back to basics and banish Skpe Home—that area where you can see Facebook updates from your Skype contacts—click on View > Split window view, which will toggle Skype to what’s called “single window view.”

Now, Skype Home will appear in a separate window. Just close that Skype Home window and then adjust the contact window until it looks like the window pictured here, which is more or less a modernized version of the single-panel Skype look.

Watch out for your privacy

Just like Google, Microsoft has yet to meet a product it couldn’t involve with ads, and Skype is no exception. Go to Skype > Privacy... > Privacy Settings. At the bottom, you’ll see two check boxes. Privacy conscious users will want to uncheck “Allow Microsoft targeted ad, including use of Skype profile age and gender.”

That’s it: Three small tweaks that will make your Skype time just a little bit better.

Microsoft promises “a more delightful experience” in latest Skype update on Android

Microsoft promises “a more delightful experience” in latest Skype update on Android

Microsoft released the latest update for its Skype app on Android this week, with a refreshed UI design that the company says “brings a more delightful experience” to the app. In fact, Skype for Android 5.6 doesn’t include any new features – but the changes aren’t all skin-deep.

Microsoft says that the update makes the app “even more beautiful to look at and even easier to use”. Its release notes explain how the visual changes improve things:

See more chats at a glance

When you have multiple chats going at the same time, it could be challenging to follow along. In Skype 5.6 for Android, we’ve updated the app to let you see more chats on the Recent tab. Now a quick glance allows you to catch up on more conversations, and you can easily jump in to start chatting.

See friends’ online status with lovely round avatars

In addition, we’ve made updates so you can easily see which of your friends are online, no matter where you are in the app. We have also polished and unified the avatar pictures, giving the app a simpler and more consistent look and feel.

See chat messages more clearly

Within each chat, you’ll notice that we adjusted the color of chat bubbles to make the text pop more. Now, not only can you read messages with added clarity, you’ll find it easier to tell what you said from what everyone else said. You’ll find this update particularly helpful if you have group chats with lots of participants.

But while most of the changes in this release are cosmetic, Microsoft says that version 5.6 “also includes a number of fixes and improvements to make the app more stable.”

The update is already available for existing users, but if you haven’t got the app installed on your Android device, you can grab it via the link below.

Download: Skype for Android (Google Play)
Source: Microsoft via Android Central