Skype, what's going on?

[mjrtoo]

I'm totally confused, do I need the actual skype app installed now, or is it all baked into the OS? Same with Windows 10, with the new messaging and Skype app. Skype just seems so fragmented and unreliable these days and can no longer rely on it to actually work as advertised.

Any advice would be great, it's frustrating.

 

[EspHack]

there's no advice, keep both installed so your chances of getting a notification can better on mobile, on pc you can keep using the desktop app alone unless you want a black theme, the messaging app on desktop is completely useless otherwise

 

[Bobvfr]

There are some wonderful universal apps about, and it's a pleasure to use them when you find them, but for some unknown reason Microsoft seem to dislike universal apps, why on earth cant they just take the perfectly working WP or Xbox One Skype app and convert it to a universal one.

Firstly that would stop people having to use the desktop program on tablets (Sorry it just doesn't work).

Secondly, although I am guessing that the new Skype apps are a work in progress, currently they are just a disaster.

I see where MS are trying to go with this, but they really are wasting their time as there just wont be any Skype users left if they really don't pull their fingers out and I mean very soon.

I suppose I have become a Windows/MS fan, but I am not so blinded by fandom that I can't see a cockup when it happens like taking placeholders away from OneDrive, but I have to say what MS/Skype have managed to achieve with Skype is bordering on criminal.

Come on MS, I want to use Skype, I like it, but it is dying before our eyes.

 

[mjrtoo]

It's crazy, I have no idea what settings are real, the web setup on Skype.com or from within the desktop application. They report different things.

For instance, I have call forwarding off on the website, it's a light blue box with no check, and no number entered. But I go into the desktop options and in call forwarding it says another app is controlling that, ok, seems right, but go into voicemail and there's a notification that says call forwarding is on.

It's a huge mess, they celebrate windows 1 and thirty years later we have 10. But Windows Phone 5 years later is still beta at best, crazy.

 

[Bobvfr]

Just noticed I get different results on different PC's for example on my desktop I can go to the people app and show contacts from Outlook and Messaging + Skype yet on my Surface Pro 3 it's Outlook and just Microsoft messaging (Not messaging + Skype) and it actually works better on the Surface Pro and on my 1520 it's Outlook, Microsoft messaging and as a separate entry Skype.

I really do want this to work and I know its BETA software, but at the moment it looks like a pile of dog poo yet a simple universal app would solve all these problems until they sort out the mess instead people are using Skype Translator.

Sheer mess MS/Skype have got themselves in.

 

[Bobvfr]

Been playing with this for a few more hours, it turns out either MS/Skype haven't told us something or maybe we just have to figure it out ourselves (I am a regular on the Skype community and they don't have answers either).

Anyway as mentioned I get different results on different devises so on my Desktop I cannot see any way to link contacts as the Skype ones do not show up at all, but then when you think about it, why would you want to use Skype this way on a desktop, the desktop program works fine and so does Skype through Outlook (With 365).

But I just sorted out my Stream 7, trying to use the desktop program was a farce and the Skype Translator didn't work any better than the old "Modern" Skype app they discontinued, so fired up the setting on the Stream and low and behold the new Skype apps actually now make sense and my Skype contacts showed up so from the people app I can IM, call and video Skype.

Checked the Surface Pro and good to go there (Desktop program just about works but I can see the apps will eventually be better if you are using the Surface as a tablet rather than laptop, but when you plug in a keyboard and mouse to be more laptop you can just fire up the desktop Skype program anyway.

As mentioned at the moment on the phone you can see both IM's and standard texts, the texting is at some time going to show up on the apps anyway.

Begrudgingly I can actually see this working and for the first time in months Skype now makes some sense on tablets, haven't been able to use Skype on the stream for months.

Long way to go but some progress, but why didn't anyone mention that somehow Windows 10 can tell the difference between a desktop and a tablet, I tend to do all my experimenting on my desktop and was hitting a brick wall.

Will try out a few more features and report back.

 

[Bobvfr]

Ok next test passed, set my wife up on her Surface Pro and phone and just thought I had better see how the laptop handles it and it works like a tablet, so at last after several months of waiting I can now explain to her how she will work with skype across all her devices using the same apps and not having to go near Skype itself.

The crazy thing is the one device I do all my testing and experimenting on (My desktop) will not work with the new apps as the contacts just don't show up, as mentioned not an issue now I know, but it's a shame someone from MS/Skype didn't mention this.

 

[EspHack]

on my desk it just wont sync messages after a while, I only use it for the black theme at nights