Skype, screen sharing arrives also on smartphones

Skype for Android and iOS updates with a new feature (screen sharing) and a new user interface

Screen sharing arrives on the mobile version of Skype: in a post on the official blog of the video messaging app, Microsoft announced that it has extended the feature also to Skype's Android and iOS apps. This feature was already being tested for a few weeks and Insider members already know about it. Now, however, the feature is being extended to everyone.

According to Microsoft, screen sharing on smartphones could be used to participate in online business meetings when you're out of the office, but also for online shopping with friends. Think, for example, of being in a store and wanting to show a friend a product before buying it, to get their opinion. Screen sharing can be activated in a very simple way: just tap on the "..." menu of the app and select the appropriate option. Skype for iOS and Android has also been redesigned to make it more minimalist and less invasive during video calls.

Skype for Android and iOS: the new interface

The new user interface of the Skype iOS and Android apps is cleaner and more essential than the previous one, but also customizable: you can remove elements from the screen that, perhaps, disturb us. For example, with a single tap, you'll be able to hide the call control icons, while a double tap will remove all on-screen icons in one fell swoop. You'll then just have to tap again to make the controls reappear. Skype mobile, then, will be completely full screen: you'll only see the video coming from the smartphone of our partner and, in the upper right corner, the video of our camera and the button to adjust the audio. Microsoft says that in this way the experience of using Skype on mobile devices will be more similar to that on PCs and laptops. Those who want to activate call recording and subtitles, on the other hand, will be able to do so from the menu with the three dots.

When the new Skype apps arrive

All these updates are being released with version 8.38.76.134 of the application and should gradually arrive on all Skype users' smartphones within a few days. For iPhone users, the new features will only be available if the installed operating system is iOS 12, while on Android smartphones, version 6 of Google's operating system is enough.