Skype says this morning that it will next month discontinue its Windows “modern” application and instead make the Windows desktop application the main Skype app for Windows users. In case you’re not familiar with the lingo, “modern”- or as they were previously known, “metro” – style apps were touch-friendly apps introduced with Windows 8. They’re also the only apps that run on Windows RT devices, so the transition over to the Windows desktop version of Skype will not affect that subset of Windows users.
However, other PC customers using the modern app will be updated starting on July 7th to the Windows desktop application, says Skype.
The company introduced a modern version of Skype built for Windows 8 several years ago, right around the time that the “metro design” user interface was being rebranded as “modern design,” following a trademark dispute with a German retailer. In fact, Skype’s introductory blog post was one of the first places that the company referred to the app’s design by its new name – “modern design.”
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Some Windows 8 computers were able to run both modern and desktop apps, which led to consumer confusion. The company hints at this problem subtly, noting that, with the upcoming release of Windows 10 for PCs, it “made sense” to offer one Skype application which is optimized for keyboard and mouse as well as touch, instead of “two separate applications performing the same function.”
Users can choose to update to the desktop app ahead of the July 7th deadline by downloading it for themselves from the Skype website. Your contacts and conversations from the last 30 days will be available after making the transition, Skype says.
The company also notes that it will begin rolling out Skype as a built-in feature in messaging, calling and video functions in Windows 10 later this year, and will be looking for user feedback at that time. “This way if you want to quickly make a call or send a message you can use task based apps, and for those of you power users who like the advantages of the all in one app, you can pick what’s right for you,” the blog post states.