14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just released a preview version of the Skype UWP app for Windows 10 Mobile devices and has announced that SMS functionality will be added at a later time during the summer.
The new Skype app for Windows phones makes it possible to start group video calls with up to 25 participants while also offering the standard feature package, including instant messaging, emoticon, and emoji support, file sharing and more.
SMS support will launch later this year, Microsoft says, so Windows 10 Mobile users can have a single view for the SMS and Skype conversations, similar to the existing Messaging app.
“Later this summer we will bring new features to Skype on Windows 10 Mobile, including SMS relay. With this feature, you’ll be able to send SMS messages from a Windows 10 PC or Windows 10 phone, giving you the ability to send and receive texts, group messages, and photos all in one app, as well as a single view of your SMS and Skype conversations,” Microsoft explains.
A new Skype app for Windows insiders on PC is also available, and it includes a preview of Skype Bots, a feature that Microsoft presented for the first time at BUILD this year and that allows users to perform certain tasks all automatically. The new Skype app can be found in the store, but it's only aimed at machines running preview builds of Windows 10.