There are Skype apps for OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, Blackberry, and a number of other platforms. But there are two versions of the communications app for Windows… or at least there will be until July 7th. That’s when Microsoft plans to shut down one of its Skype apps and direct users to download the other instead.

skype modern_02

Microsoft acquired Skype a few years back and continues to offer a Windows desktop app. But when Windows 8 launched, Microsoft also introduced a “Modern” version of Skype optimized for touchscreen tablets. It has a full-screen user interface and touch-friendly controls.

Windows 10 launches this summer, and rather than adopt both versions of Skype to run on the upcoming operating system, Microsoft has announced that it’s bringing touch features to the desktop app and killing the Modern app.

Starting July 7th, when you fire up the Skype app on a Windows PC, you’ll be redirected to the download page for the desktop app.

If you’re using a Windows RT tablet you’ll be able to continue using the full-screen, touch-friendly Modern app though… because the desktop app won’t work on devices like the first or second-gen Surface tablets.

Support Liliputing

Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "Shop" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission).

But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping.

Contribute to our Patreon campaign

or...

Contribute via PayPal

* If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it.

Subscribe to Liliputing via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 9,454 other subscribers

6 replies on “Microsoft kills Skype “Modern” app to focus on Skype for Desktop”

  1. Ok, what’s “Modern”? Is it like “Metro”?
    Actually, nevermind, I don’t care.

    1. Yeah… the names were kind of a mess. They went with Metro originally, but ran into trademark issues or something, so Microsoft started using “Modern” to describe the same thing… but that point most users thought of these apps at Metro.

      After a while, Microsoft wasn’t really using either name and instead talked about “Windows Store” apps or somesuch.

      Things’ll either get more clear… or more confusing when Windows 10 launches.

          1. That doesn’t make sense either.

            I don’t see why we need a different name, especially with windows 10 removing the significant distinctions (winrt apps can run in windowed mode; win32 apps can be distributed on Microsoft’s site). We don’t have different names for .NET apps or Java or qt apps. If people need to refer to the APIs, they can refer to the APIs, but most the time going forward people shouldn’t care.

          2. Except Universal Apps can run on all platforms but desktop apps are still limited to x86 traditional desktop environments…

            Modern/Metro really mean the same thing, just two words with the same meaning and it was just because of the trademark issue that they had to change it… but they wanted Windows Store App going forward because there is only so long you can call something modern or new…

            But now the emphasis is on adaptive apps that can work on all devices and all platforms… So the same app can work on your phone as on your desktop with a Universal app and that’s the difference…

Comments are closed.