Skype is (still) the best communication app for Windows 10 users, even if people don't use it

Updated February 6, 2022: This postal service has been updated due to the current health crisis. Nosotros've added some links to resources that tin help people stay in touch on right now and some thoughts on Skype as a service during the crisis.

My telephone and PC have entire sections dedicated to messaging apps. I use WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Slack, and more to stay in touch with people. I occasionally also use Discord, SMS messaging, and fifty-fifty Twitter messaging because people I know are on and then many different platforms. But something stuck out to me recently, nearly every single person I communicate with on any of these services also has a Skype account. And yet, most none of us apply it to bulletin each other. Apple users take a seamless experience with iMessage and FaceTime. But I've constitute myself jumping from app to app every day for years on Windows considering no one can concord on which service to use.

I'd imagine that many people are in the aforementioned boat right now when it comes to jumping between services. With millions of people working from home and locked downwards, people have scrambled to find a service to stay in bear on with friends and loved ones. Many have switched over to Zoom, though that has security concerns correct at present, while others stuck with services like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. During the current health crisis, I was perplexed that no one I know fifty-fifty talked nearly using Skype. Microsoft says Skype usage is upward, but in both raw numbers and anecdotally, people aren't flocking to Skype similar they are to another services.

Every unmarried person that has a Microsoft business relationship technically has a Skype account. And hundreds of millions of people take used Skype at least once or twice to make a video call, then, oddly, most people rarely utilize Skype. I switched over to Skype for my master messaging app while on vacation a few months agone to see how it performs as an all-in-one communication app. I was pleasantly surprised. I've been critical of Skype in the past, including some of the app's design features. But the current country of the app is impressive and provides something I can't get with whatever other messaging services: a consummate communication experience available on every platform I use. I think the insights I learned during this vacation apply even more than so during the current crisis. I also all the same believe that Skype could exist an first-class tool to stay in affect right now, simply that about people don't utilize information technology.

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Communicating from everywhere

The reason I was inspired to switch over to Skype was my chase to observe a single app that allows me to communicate through text, vocalisation, and video from all of my favorite platforms. I didn't want to jump between multiple apps when chatting with the same person. I've used Telegram for a long time and think it's an fantabulous service, but its lack of video calls made it fall brusk for my vacation away from my married woman and dogs. Skype'south gone through quite a few design changes, not all of which were well-received. But the current state of Skype is piece of cake to employ and works well for chatting, calling, and video calling.

Skype also delivers one of the best Windows 10 experiences among pop messaging apps. WhatsApp requires syncing through your phone and lacks many essential app features. Facebook Messenger has a Windows 10 app, and so that'south something, but it's clearly a port and lacks the features and polish of native UWP apps. Telegram has both a first-party Windows app and an first-class third-political party app in Unigram, so information technology delivers an fantabulous Windows ten experience. I commonly wouldn't credit a platform for a third-political party app, information technology's not like Google should become credit for myTube, but the makers of Telegram actively promote third-party applications and provide code that helps developers, so I think credit is deserved.

The nearly important features of a messaging app vary from user to user, just the chart beneath breaks downward the most important features to me as well every bit each service's availability.

Category	WhatsApp	Facebook Messenger	Telegram	Skype
Text messaging	Yep	Yes	Yes	Yep
Vocalism calls	Yes	Yep	Yes	Yep
Video calls	Yeah	Yes	No	Yes
Group calls	Yeah	Yes	No	Aye
Screen sharing	No	Yes	No	Yes
iOS app	Yep	Yes	Yes	Yeah
Android app	Yes	Aye	Yes	Yep
Windows 10 app	Aye	Aye	Yes (Windows app + Unigram)	Aye
Xbox app	No	No	Yes (Unigram)	Aye
Web-version	Yes (through syncing with phone)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Actionable notifications	But on iOS and Android	Just on iOS and Android	Yes (Unigram for Windows 10)	Yes

For the features that I care most the most, Skype is the simply service that checks all of the boxes. It's one of simply two messaging services here that supports text, voice, video, and group calls while having native apps on all of the major platforms. Facebook Messenger also does well, though I don't think it'due south Windows 10 app is very skilful.

How to easily gear up upwards a voice phone call or video meeting on Skype

Skype has handled just near everything I've done in my testing well. I chat with my wife all day, send photos and videos of my holiday, video call or call daily, and share files and my screen to help coordinate things while across the pond from each other. It's been nice to be able to jump betwixt different forms of communication without switching apps and removes a lot of hassle when searching through histories.

How-do-you-do? Is anyone in that location?

You lot probably noticed that my testing is primarily with my wife. That's because the biggest weakness of Skype is that almost no one I talk to uses it to chat. On multiple occasions, I've had a chore interview on Skype and gotten a task, then immediately switched over to a dissimilar platform to talk to the same person. That'southward a pretty regular occurrence for Skype in my experience. Most people have it and will use it if specifically requested, but it's non the platform of choice. It used to be the default for video calls and still is to some extent, but overall, it's not the de facto communication experience.

So, here I am, asking my mom and dad to swap over to Skype for our family unit group chat because information technology works well on all of our devices. My dad has an iPhone, my mom has a Galaxy 10e, nosotros all have Windows x PCs, and both households have an Xbox One. That makes Skype an excellent platform for our family, just is it worth me recruiting over my friends, teammates, and colleagues over to Skype? I'thousand non planning on converting the football team I jitney over to Skype, even though I'thou willing to bet xc percent of them technically accept a Skype account. Almost people have picked their platform of choice and volition stick with it.

Overall thoughts

Skype is in a unique situation. It'south a service that hundreds of millions of people have an business relationship for that is often disregarded for competitors similar WhatsApp and Facebook. Equally a communication platform, I recollect Skype provides the all-time experience for Windows x users out of the popular messaging services. Information technology has apps just about everywhere, supports all types of communication, is gratis and easy to employ, and has a good Windows x app. But I don't wait it to get the primary messaging app for many people.

It'southward almost sad to switch over to Skype. I call back if Microsoft had marketed Skype differently and fixed its issues a few years ago, it could take been the default web-based communication app over Facebook and WhatsApp. Simply the fixes and improvements are probable too late, and people shouldn't have to beg or convert their family and friends over to an app to get a practiced feel.

Messaging everywhere

Skype

Versatile messaging

Skype has apps on every platform and supports every kind of communication, including text, vocalism, and video.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/skype-best-messaging-app-windows-10-even-if-no-one-uses-it

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