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Skype iOS App Gets Background Blurring Feature

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Skype's mobile app for iPhone and iPad has been updated with a new screen-blurring feature this week. Users of Microsoft's video and voice calling service can now choose to blur the background on video calls if the scene behind them is something they'd rather not share.
Background blur in Skype and Teams uses artificial intelligence (AI)—trained in human form detection—to keep you in focus during your call. This technology is also trained to detect your hair, hands, and arms, making a call with background blur just as relaxed and easy as a regular video call.
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The idea behind the feature is to save the user's blushes because of the messy room they're skyping from, or to obscure a business plan on a whiteboard behind them, for example.

Background blur in Skype is similar to background blur in Microsoft Teams, according to the software giant. The results are somewhat akin to the "bokeh" effect most commonly seen in Portrait photos on iPhone, but in this case it's in a live video stream.

The feature has been available on the desktop version of Skype for a while, and like that app, it can be enabled in Skype's settings or when in a call by using the "Blur my background" option.

Skype for iPhone [Direct Link] and iPad [Direct Link] is a free download available from the App Store.

Article Link: Skype iOS App Gets Background Blurring Feature
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/07/17/skype-ios-app-gets-background-blurring-feature/
Slightly off-topic, but I just don't understand why all of the duplication of communication tools within the same company. Microsoft with Skype and Teams, Facebook with Messenger and Whatsapp.
Shouldn't they learn something from Zoom about focussing on one service that works well?

Also, oh why oh why doesn't Apple allow guests FaceTime participants from different platforms? (i.e. you need an Apple device to host a call, but with participants from all platforms, maybe a web-app?)
 
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Wando64 said:
Also, oh why oh why doesn't Apple allow guests FaceTime participants from different platforms? (i.e. you need an Apple device to host a call, but with participants from all platforms, maybe a web-app?)
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This would be awesome. It’s stupid that you can’t use FaceTime if 1 guy is using Windows.
 
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Wando64 said:
Slightly off-topic, but I just don't understand why all of the duplication of communication tools within the same company. Microsoft with Skype and Teams, Facebook with Messenger and Whatsapp.
Shouldn't they learn something from Zoom about focussing on one service that works well?

Also, oh why oh why doesn't Apple allow guests FaceTime participants from different platforms? (i.e. you need an Apple device to host a call, but with participants from all platforms, maybe a web-app?)
Click to expand...

Facebook lives off people who "hate Facebook" so they use a "secure and private" platform like Whatsapp instead.

I know FaceTime was meant to be an open platform, but then they were hit with lawsuits + saw how profitable it was to keep it closed.
 
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Has anyone noticed in iOS 14 that all the MS business apps like Teams, Outlook, Yammer, OneNote, etc have peak at your clipboard contents when you open them?
 
Mydel said:
I dont know if thats only me but blurred background is the least important issue when it comes to skype. How about atrocious video quality as compared to any other communicator?
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If you are in a high office, you don't want the person to see what they are not authorized to see behind you, maybe a VIP walking by with another VIP. That's classified information and is normally on a need-to-know basis.
 
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Wando64 said:
Slightly off-topic, but I just don't understand why all of the duplication of communication tools within the same company. Microsoft with Skype and Teams, Facebook with Messenger and Whatsapp.
Shouldn't they learn something from Zoom about focussing on one service that works well?

Also, oh why oh why doesn't Apple allow guests FaceTime participants from different platforms? (i.e. you need an Apple device to host a call, but with participants from all platforms, maybe a web-app?)
Click to expand...

My understanding is Microsoft plans to transition from Skype for Business to Teams for all bossiness users eventually. While normal Skype will be their general consumer product.
 
Wando64 said:
Also, oh why oh why doesn't Apple allow guests FaceTime participants from different platforms? (i.e. you need an Apple device to host a call, but with participants from all platforms, maybe a web-app?)
Click to expand...

Yeah, Apple missed the boat on this. They could’ve beat Zoom to the punch and made FaceTime the default video call software. Many of us were using FaceTime in the beginning but whenever there was a non Apple user invited to the call, we had to go with Zoom and eventually that’s all anybody ever used.

A web app on iCloud.com would solve that.
 
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Mydel said:
I dont know if thats only me but blurred background is the least important issue when it comes to skype. How about atrocious video quality as compared to any other communicator?
Click to expand...

This would be an important feature for current ZOOM business meetings, when your naked girlfriend accidentally flashes herself whilst you are conducting an online board meeting (in your pajamas). Blurring people in the background would be a step in the right direction.
 
great, of course my 94 y.o. grandfather's vision isn't all that, but he might appreciate me using this feature. i don't use skype to talk to anyone else...
 
So now Zoom and Skype both have this feature but WebEx doesn’t. WebEx is so clunky and far behind - too bad for all the employees out there that are forced to use it.
 
Westside guy said:
At this point, anything they do to Skype falls under the "too little, too late" category.
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Probably not to all those that use Skype.
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Solomani said:
This would be an important feature for current ZOOM business meetings, when your naked girlfriend accidentally flashes herself whilst you are conducting an online board meeting (in your pajamas). Blurring people in the background would be a step in the right direction.
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Doesn't Zoom already have something like this, or the very least virtual backgrounds which in a sense do some thing similar?
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Wando64 said:
Slightly off-topic, but I just don't understand why all of the duplication of communication tools within the same company. Microsoft with Skype and Teams, Facebook with Messenger and Whatsapp.
Shouldn't they learn something from Zoom about focussing on one service that works well?

Also, oh why oh why doesn't Apple allow guests FaceTime participants from different platforms? (i.e. you need an Apple device to host a call, but with participants from all platforms, maybe a web-app?)
Click to expand...
Skype and WhatsApp were separate services for quite a while with their own users and following before they were bought up by larger companies, so it would be harder to just get rid of them or even migrate people off of them. Also, some of the other offerings are tailored more for somewhat different type of uses/users, like Teams being more for business compared to Skype, for example.
 
C DM said:
Also, some of the other offerings are tailored more for somewhat different type of uses/users, like Teams being more for business compared to Skype, for example.
Click to expand...

Up to a couple of years ago, and probably to these days, Skype for business was the most used business communication tool among medium and large businesses.
 
Wando64 said:
Up to a couple of years ago, and probably to these days, Skype for business was the most used business communication tool among medium and large businesses.
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A slightly different version of Skype that Microsoft is preferring Teams over.
 
Solomani said:
This would be an important feature for current ZOOM business meetings, when your naked girlfriend accidentally flashes herself whilst you are conducting an online board meeting (in your pajamas). Blurring people in the background would be a step in the right direction.
Click to expand...
Or you can just not do video board meetings in the same room as your naked girlfriend? I mean I got it you're home but just like being on a business phone call some level of professionalism is recommended
 
I think Skype in general is moving in the right direction. Skype introduced Snapchat like features a few years ago and the app appear to be moving towards a social media kind app then. I am glad it reversed that trend and is moving back to focus on communication. It is copying many features from Zoom now. I think these are all good move to the correction product niche for Skype.

I used to use Skype a lot back in the days to call family before Vedic chat becomes common.
 
Wando64 said:
Up to a couple of years ago, and probably to these days, Skype for business was the most used business communication tool among medium and large businesses.
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They retired Skype for Business and migrated to Microsoft Teams.
 
This is a good feature. I have taken at home business calls in many odd locations... in bed, on the porcelain appliance, or at the pool. This feature is or can be great!
 
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