Skype is going ad-free, as indicated in a blog post by Microsoft. The latest update removes all ads from the entire platform, including Skype channels and the main chat interface. Microsoft said this move was a response to feedback and an attempt to make the “Skype experience cleaner and more user-friendly.” This is certainly welcome news, considering every other company seems newly obsessed with ads.
The “today” section of Skype will remain, along with the pre-existing newsfeed. There just won’t be any ads to accompany that feed. Users can also delete the newsfeed tab by heading to the settings menu.
This update also includes a little something for all of the AI-heads out there. Skype will offer a revamped AI image creation system on the desktop app. This lets people access the image creator from the chat window or the top bar. There’s a “more intuitive and visually appealing” interface and pictures now expand when clicked on. Otherwise, it’s just your standard image creator.
Finally, the latest update brings integration with the authenticator OneAuth to the iOS app. This already existed on Android. OneAuth replaces the old sign-in system, so users will login automatically if they’re already signed into other Microsoft apps like Teams. It’s pretty handy because there are already way too many passwords floating around our craniums. Who among us can remember exactly how many numbers or exclamation marks to put after the same word we’ve been using as a password since 2002?
The update is available to everyone enrolled in the Skype Insider Program, so sign up if you aren’t. It begins rolling out today but will take a few days to reach every user. Microsoft urges consumers to keep checking if it doesn’t show up right away.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-is-dropping-ads-from-skype-143155507.html?src=rss
