Last month (ha) Microsoft released an update to the Skype app for Windows 8. Last month, in this case, means March 30, so not too many days ago for those keeping count.
This new update is said to bring several improvements and bug fixes to make the app work more smoothly on the company’s latest operating system.
The most important (and much needed) change is the addition of a contact blocking feature. No more pesky people. Users can not only block specific contacts now, but also remove them and report contact requests as spam. An explanation straight from the Skype team:
“To block a contact, select the person’s name to open up the chat window. Bring up the command bar by swiping at the top or bottom of your screen (or right click), and select block. You may also choose whether you want to remove or report the contact request as spam.”
Several bugs are also squashed, and the overall quality of the calls made via Skype is improved.
Microsoft is said to have patched a bug that blocked the outgoing video from displaying after the camera was switched in the “Options” menu. Speaking of menus, the Skype app no long crashes when clicking on the “Info” menu.
Also fixed is the issue where a wrong error message was displayed in case a call failed. The new version also makes it possible to switch between calls on hold. Thank heavens for this.
But before you do, and decide to upgrade, keep in mind that the latest update also brings with it a little bug, where in some cases attempts to answer call when the Skype app is in the background may not succeed.
Scary, huh? Thought so.
No workaround is available for this, but as always expect a fix in the next version upgrade. For now, if you want to try this new version, you can do so by heading over to the Windows Store or checking out the updated page of the Skype app.
