Microsoft has shown continual willing to build on the user-experience that is thrust into the face of users when interacting with Skype. Since purchasing the company back in 2011, the company has pumped significant resources into ensuring that the whole platform is as smooth and seamless as possible for those who interact with it on a daily basis. Part of that development has focused on overhauling and improving the customer-facing mobile apps on iOS and Android, which has now been updated with a new group video calling experience for up to 25 people that was originally teased back in January.
Microsoft had initially taken the opportunity at the turn of 2016 to announce that a new group video calling feature would be coming to iOS and Android as part of an effort to ensure the experience on mobile was on par with that of the web. Like most large organizations, Microsoft had no intention of holding itself accountable to a published released date, instead choosing to simply get the group calling experience polished and ready for the primetime before physically publishing it as an update to the relevant app stores. That update has finally started rolling out across iOS and Android today.
The feature itself means that group video calling conversations can now take place with up to 25 participants when using the mobile apps. Those using the Skype app to take part in this type of experience will be able to send and view 1080p video quality, as well as make use of the forward and rear-facing cameras on the smartphone or tablet to broadcast video to other participants in the call. In a similar fashion to how the service works across PC and Mac, the individual talking at any given time will be dynamically animated and moved to a prominent position in the center of the display.
More so, Skype is also extending the ability for Skype users on smartphones to bring in non-Skype users to the conversation, even if they do not have a Skype ID or Skype installed on their phone or PC. This feature was originally available for Desktop users only.
The rollout of group video calling feature on mobile is currently in the process, beginning with the United States and specific European locations, and is expected to complete within a week.
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