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Skype for Mac Gains New Mobile-Style Redesign for Improved Chat Experience

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Skype for Mac was today updated to version 7.0, with a significant redesign that brings mobile design elements to the desktop app. The app's flatter look incorporates new icons and a new blue layout that aims to create a richer chat experience.

Skype's new mobile-style layout will help it fit right in with OS X Yosemite, expected to be released to the public later this month. OS X Yosemite also incorporates several design elements taken directly from iOS 7 and 8, the basis of the Skype mobile design.

skypeformac.jpg
Today we're excited to announce Skype for Mac 7.0 as well as the preview for the new Skype for Windows -- both of which have been redesigned to make it easier to chat and share. If you're already using Skype on mobile, you'll recognize some of these changes. We've made the Skype experience consistent whether you are using your mobile device or your desktop PC. Now, you'll see thumbnail pictures of your contacts, a new bubble-style chat design, and consistent icons for chat, video calls and audio calls.
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A chat sidebar allows users to chat and share images while on a video call with a single click, with images shown instantly once they download. Sharing of other types of files, like PDFs, has also been improved.

There's a also new bubble-style chat design drawn directly from the mobile app, and Skype says that its free group video calling has been improved in the new app.

Skype for Mac can be downloaded for free from the Skype website and existing users can update from within their Skype apps.

Article Link: Skype for Mac Gains New Mobile-Style Redesign for Improved Chat Experience
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/10/09/skype-for-mac-mobile-style-redesign/
Updated

Looks nice and works well so far
I like it better :)
My wife and I Skype chat throughout the day

Sending the emoticons by themselves make them really BIG in this version :)
 
There's really not much different, just the newer iconography from the mobile version. If you hated 6 you'll hate this as well.
 
Is it a bug that there isn't a space between the month and the year for group chats?
 

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I used to use Skype all the time until my friends overseas got iPhones and Macs. Now it's all iMessage and FaceTime.
 
Oh WOW! It has Timestamps!!! Can you believe this? You can now know whether you're seeing a message someone sent you 3 years ago or 3 seconds ago! You can't imagine how much of a difference this makes to people's lives. Thank you Microsoft, for the timestamps. I would have paid for this feature. Now to make the video and audio calling part work, that would also be great, but who cares, because you can write to people and they know exactly when they received your message, who needs audio calling?
 
This is pretty sucky on my 27in imac. I run with skype maximized and until v7 it was just fine. Now at the same settings, the chat messages are focused in the inner 33% vertical space leaving 66% of my screen as wasted dead space.
 
Hmm, not 100% sure I think this is an improvement. It looks less "Macy" with this change. I mean, it's looks more like Skype on other platforms, so I can understand their intentions.

Anyhow, if this finally means the apps properly realize which device I'm using and not ping every device for every notice, I'll be happy and live with the loss in UI.
 
boast said:
Im not sure about this style fitting in with yosemite, it looks more like Windows based on the pic.
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Yes, this has nothing to do with Yosemite, the menu bar isn't translucent if you have that enabled. They are just unifying the look across all the platforms.
 
baryon said:
Oh WOW! It has Timestamps!!! Can you believe this? You can now know whether you're seeing a message someone sent you 3 years ago or 3 seconds ago! You can't imagine how much of a difference this makes to people's lives. Thank you Microsoft, for the timestamps. I would have paid for this feature.
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Relax...it's not that big of a deal
 
Microsoft really messed Skype up. It used to be functional - now I can barely use it. And it's definitely Microsoft because I have an Xbox Music account (don't ask why) and the Xbox website is so dysfunctional it's unbelievable. I've never liked Windows, and hardly ever used it.
 
Mums said:
Microsoft really messed Skype up. It used to be functional - now I can barely use it. And it's definitely Microsoft because I have an Xbox Music account (don't ask why) and the Xbox website is so dysfunctional it's unbelievable. I've never liked Windows, and hardly ever used it.
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IMO, Skype went downhill when they released the huge UI without the compact UI options, and that was before Microsoft.
 
New. Improved. Messed up.

Messages are now only covering a quarter of the screen in full screen mode.
 
So they provide a redesign, but they still don't allow iOS devices to open attachments...no idea why they removed this feature, but Skype is stupid!
 
Cougarcat said:
Yes, but there's a Mac screen in the same blog post...
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Sorry. I don't have an explanation other than I wrote it pre-caffeine. I updated the post for you guys with the Mac screenshot.
 
taxiapple said:
Relax...it's not that big of a deal
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It is. I wanted this for Christmas. There's nothing better than Skype re-adding features it removed in the previous update. It makes us feel good about something that is technically nothing.
 
original Skype was the best

Long time ago I used the app all the time. then ebay bought it and they messed the code ;( now microsoft did great with the app all the restrictions did not work for them.

I use it once a week when I call my grandmas TV.
 
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