Video: A closer look at the new Skype Messaging and Skype Video apps for Windows 10 Mobile

Late last week, Microsoft updated what used to be the beta version of Skype messenger for Windows 10 mobile.  However, don’t look for it in the marketplace, that’s becasue  Skype Messaging is now integrated into the standard messaging app for Windows 10 Mobile. So we thought we would give you a closer look at the new apps on Windows 10 Mobile — here’s our video:

This development harkens back to a simpler time. A time when Facebook Messenger wasn’t a standalone application.

Why do I mention that?  Because those of us who have been around for a while will be familiar with this type of integration, as Facebook Messenger used to be integrated into the messaging application of Windows Phone.  Alas, those days are gone.

However, the integration with Skype Messaging is certainly a welcome addition to the Windows 10 Mobile platform as this is a further indication of the unification between the mobile and desktop experiences, creating a more consistent experience.

If you don’t look, you might miss it, as the look of the messaging app really hasn’t changed at all, save for a small drop-down box in the upper corner that allows you to switch between Skype and SIM-Text instantly, all while staying within the same thread.  Further, once you change your text medium to Skype, the phone and camera buttons become selectable and launch a voice, or video Skype call. Either selection launches you into the Skype Video application.

Another welcome addition for those of you that just have to hold your phone horizontally: we particularly enjoyed a new UI addition, a kind of rolodex on the left side of the application that displays the profile pictures of the contacts with which you currently have active threads.  I like this feature so much I may just have to suggest it as a feature addition to portrait mode in messaging.

Further, the Skype Video app has come out of beta as well.  And while the changes aren’t nearly as obvious as the tweaks in Skype Messenger, they’re still nice to have.  The significant change comes with the addition of the suggested friends section, which is exactly what it sounds like.

All in all these changes aren’t groundbreaking, but as we mentioned earlier, it’s good to see Microsoft continuing their efforts to create a unified and consistent experience across its platforms.  Let us know what you think about these developments in the comments below.