Skype Preview 8.69 is available for those who signed up to receive beta versions of the popular messenger. This version is rolling out on Windows, macOS, and iOS with some important changes.
First, Skype moved to Electron 11. This update brings significant performance improvements and bug fixes to the previous Electron version. On top of that, Skype on Windows now launches much faster when compared to version 8.68. This update should please users who were disappointed with the switch from React Native to Electron in one of the previous updates.
Second, Skype 8.69 introduces a feature called “last message avatar.” It is a small circle over the group chat icon that shows who wrote the last message. If you do not like how this feature works, Microsoft allows disabling it in the Appearance settings.
Third, Skype now supports in-client number purchases on iOS. This feature is currently limited to only US and UK Skype numbers.
There are other minor improvements worth mentioning. For example, developers improved notifications for those who cannot update to the latest iOS 14. If your iPhone or iPad runs on iOS 13, notifications from Skype should work better now. Also, there are fixes for update-related issues on macOS Big Sur, double badge count in the taskbar on Windows, and problems with buying Skype credit or subscription.
The update is rolling out gradually to Skype Insiders, which means new features may arrive with a slight delay. You can read more about Skype Preview 8.69 on the official Microsoft forum. If there are some missing features you would like to see in future Skype updates, Microsoft encourages you to head to Skype’s User Voice website and submit feedback there.
Recently, Microsoft released Skype 8.68 with the background blur feature on Android and other minor improvements. Read about that update here.
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Still haven’t received background blur on Skype for Android. Microsoft is crap.
What a shame.