When skype introduced the SMS function allowing it to act as the primary SMS app on your phone and even your laptop (connected via hotspot or wifi) I was annoyed and frustrated.
Before the .448 update, Cortana was in control of the messaging app in terms of sending the SMS to your laptop or desktop. You would receive your text on your phone as normal and then within a fraction of a second you would get the SMS on your laptop too, being able to read it and reply in the pop up box.
Suddenly this function stopped working and up popped the forum posts with folks wondering what was wrong until we found out from a forum user that MS had in fact disabled the function in favour of SKYPE SMS handling.
I was extremely sceptical and annoyed at this BUT decided to go ahead and try it out, to my amazement it works really well, and once you get used to the idea the function serves really well indeed.
Observations I have noticed, once you have selected skype to be the main sms default app it allows you to text (using your phone) to any of your phone book recipients, this comes out of your carriers text allowance and not from skype credit you might have on your skype account.
A data connection is NOT required, you can have data turned off (as I do) and you still receive your messages from skype and can reply likewise on the phone when you are out and about, However...
To enable the SMS to pop up on your laptop you must also select Skype as the default SMS app (within skype settings on the laptop), Select sync SMS with your phone, and you must either be connected to the same wifi local network (ie your home network, both phone and laptop connected) or...
Be using the phone data as a personal hotspot connecting to it via a laptop or desktop (again, same network) and the messages will pop up on both devices.
Edit>>I must be honest and state I have no clue if the SMS will pop up on the laptop if the phone data is OFF but the Laptop connected to an internet connection? In my scenario I use the phone as the hotspot and the 2 devices are linked via WIFI.
The SMS will pop up on both devices but if you read and reply on the laptop the text can very often still be sitting on the phone appearing as unread. A little read icon within skype will show you an unread message and also you will still have the notification in the phones action centre.
That being said brings me onto syncing, syncing is very sporadic at best, sometimes even quitting skype on the laptop and re-loading it brings up different previous conversations but 7 times out of ten (a rough guess) you get everything you expect to see there and you can pick up on conversations where you left off,
To clarify something>> Skype SMS on the phone works very well indeed, no issues I can report. but Skype on the laptop for sms can be awkward at times with this syncing problem, also, once or twice again on the laptop side I have NOT been able to reply to a message and I get a report telling me sms not sent, also the phone gets that very same warning and makes a sound/alert and therefore I can rule out the laptop and phone not talking to each other, I have never once NOT been able to sent a sms from the phone, this has never let me down (skype sms).
Due to the messages popping up on the laptop I am happy to put up with some minor issues providing things don't get any worse, if your not happy you can still use your regular sms/messaging app as normal but you will not be able to get the messages popping up on the laptop, MS have said they are "bringing the function back to Cortana at some later date" You can still send a message within Cortana but as they wont pop up on the laptop this seems a bit of a waste as no conversation threads will be present on your computers screen.
My main concern was data usage as I use a data plan but once again skype does NOT use any data to send and receive the SMS from your data plan, I have data switched off and this service works very well. The texts/SMS come out of your text message package, whether that be contract or pay as you go.
Any further observations welcome please.
Before the .448 update, Cortana was in control of the messaging app in terms of sending the SMS to your laptop or desktop. You would receive your text on your phone as normal and then within a fraction of a second you would get the SMS on your laptop too, being able to read it and reply in the pop up box.
Suddenly this function stopped working and up popped the forum posts with folks wondering what was wrong until we found out from a forum user that MS had in fact disabled the function in favour of SKYPE SMS handling.
I was extremely sceptical and annoyed at this BUT decided to go ahead and try it out, to my amazement it works really well, and once you get used to the idea the function serves really well indeed.
Observations I have noticed, once you have selected skype to be the main sms default app it allows you to text (using your phone) to any of your phone book recipients, this comes out of your carriers text allowance and not from skype credit you might have on your skype account.
A data connection is NOT required, you can have data turned off (as I do) and you still receive your messages from skype and can reply likewise on the phone when you are out and about, However...
To enable the SMS to pop up on your laptop you must also select Skype as the default SMS app (within skype settings on the laptop), Select sync SMS with your phone, and you must either be connected to the same wifi local network (ie your home network, both phone and laptop connected) or...
Be using the phone data as a personal hotspot connecting to it via a laptop or desktop (again, same network) and the messages will pop up on both devices.
Edit>>I must be honest and state I have no clue if the SMS will pop up on the laptop if the phone data is OFF but the Laptop connected to an internet connection? In my scenario I use the phone as the hotspot and the 2 devices are linked via WIFI.
The SMS will pop up on both devices but if you read and reply on the laptop the text can very often still be sitting on the phone appearing as unread. A little read icon within skype will show you an unread message and also you will still have the notification in the phones action centre.
That being said brings me onto syncing, syncing is very sporadic at best, sometimes even quitting skype on the laptop and re-loading it brings up different previous conversations but 7 times out of ten (a rough guess) you get everything you expect to see there and you can pick up on conversations where you left off,
To clarify something>> Skype SMS on the phone works very well indeed, no issues I can report. but Skype on the laptop for sms can be awkward at times with this syncing problem, also, once or twice again on the laptop side I have NOT been able to reply to a message and I get a report telling me sms not sent, also the phone gets that very same warning and makes a sound/alert and therefore I can rule out the laptop and phone not talking to each other, I have never once NOT been able to sent a sms from the phone, this has never let me down (skype sms).
Due to the messages popping up on the laptop I am happy to put up with some minor issues providing things don't get any worse, if your not happy you can still use your regular sms/messaging app as normal but you will not be able to get the messages popping up on the laptop, MS have said they are "bringing the function back to Cortana at some later date" You can still send a message within Cortana but as they wont pop up on the laptop this seems a bit of a waste as no conversation threads will be present on your computers screen.
My main concern was data usage as I use a data plan but once again skype does NOT use any data to send and receive the SMS from your data plan, I have data switched off and this service works very well. The texts/SMS come out of your text message package, whether that be contract or pay as you go.
Any further observations welcome please.
Last edited:
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