Skype To End Support For Older Android, Windows Phone Builds

Because it’s moving from a P2P service to the cloud, Microsoft is ending support for Windows Phone 8 and older versions alongside older versions of Android. However, support for the app on iOS 8, Android 4.03 and Windows 10 Mobile will still continue.

Microsoft previewed its new, modern, Universal Windows Platform (UWP) version for its Skype client, so users stuck on Windows Phone 8 or older versions of Android will no longer receive access to the latest versions of Skype. The new update is also available for Windows 10 PCs.


In addition to supporting Windows 10 Mobile, the client has been given a big functional upgrade as Microsoft continues to rebuild all the old Skype client’s functionality within the new app. Calls to landlines, voicemails, screen sharing, and integrated translation of audio and video calls are all now available. The company says that the new client is faster, too.

Skype will also later on bring new features to Windows 10 mobile such as SMS relay, which will allow users to send SMS from a Windows 10 PC or Windows 10 phone, giving you the ability to send and receive texts, group messages, and photos all in one app, as well as a single view.

Hence, Microsoft encourages everyone impacted to upgrade to continue using Skype.

In a blog post by Microsoft's Skype chief Gurdeep Pall admited that the pace of change in mobile technology industry means that the devices and operating systems used by the majority of people shifts with time. "Our commitment to deliver the best possible cross-platform experiences requires that we continually assess when it’s time to increase our focus on the platforms of the future. Sometimes this means that we must end support for some devices and operating systems.