I guess Im in the minority, but I love it.

Skype started off as a way to use the net to make phone calls, then it became an early leader in the video call market. In recent years they have encountered competition from Facebook, Google, and other quarters. Further, Skype has been evolving within Microsofts ecosystem, sharing contacts and whatnot.

With this update, Skype feels less like an internet phone than it does a full-on messaging app like Facebook Messenger that has calling and video as features. I personally love it.

Early reviews of the new update were quite harsh, and with this iteration, a number of the complaints were addressed. Sharing bugs have been fixed and you can now share from Apple Photos to Skype using the iPhone sharing system. You still cant share from OneDrive for iOS to Skype, though, and I was unable to share a podcast episode from Apples Podcasts app to Skype. New themes have been added, including one that has blue and white coloring that a number of people missed. (I personally loved the new colored theme), and online statuses are more visible (could still be even more visible and able to be toggled, though).

There will always be some who resist change, but Skype still does everything that it did before, plus the new capture window and highlights, which Ive actually found myself using.

Skype is now the most versatile communications app out there. Its supported on more devices than just about anybody else. WhatsApp has no iPad version. Messenger and Hangouts force you to use a browser on a desktop. KiK, Snapchat, and Instagram are phone only. iMessage loses most of its power if you arent talking to an Apple product. WeChat loses most of its power outside China. ooVoo has become some kind of specialized story maker thats incomprehensible unless you want to make video chains. Skype is on all iOS platforms, Android, Mac, Windows, and even Linux. Plus its bundled wth Windows 10, so everybody has a Skype account, even if they dont know it.

I know people who are used to Skype just as a video platform and used in business contexts might not like colors, stickers, highlights, etc, but really, Skype does everything it did before and a whole lot more. Give it a chance. Its the only app youll ever need.

Incidentally, I want the new Skype on my iPad, folks. I mentioned Skype is on every platform, but the new update isnt on iPad.

This is a great new direction. The new contacts are great. Want to Skype someone? Just Skype them! No need to hunt them down and mess with invitations!

There is a lot of good here. I hope Microsoft and Skype Communications keep going with this.

baileyjn about Skype for iPhone, v8.3