Microsoft to disable older Skype versions for Windows, Mac

Microsoft is disabling Skype for users running older Windows desktop (7.16 and below) and Mac (7.0 to 7.18) versions. Users on the older versions will no longer be able to log in to Skype beginning March 1. “If you’re one of those users, all you’ll need to do is download the new update,” said Skype team in a blogpost.

The update brings with it features such as mobile group video calling, group video messaging, video message saving as well as cloud file sharing (up to 300 MB). It will have a redesigned infrastructure, and it is build to be faster. Skype version 7.18 for Mac and version 7.16 for Windows was released in December 2015.

Microsoft has made a bunch of changes to its video-calling platform since then. It unveiled Skype Bot Platform in March with over 30,000 developers building bots. Later, the Skype Bot Platform and the Microsoft Bot Framework were brought together into one framework called Microsoft Bot Framework V3.

The Skype Preview app comes installed with every Windows 10 PC. It makes accessing calls, video calls and group video calls easier than ever before. Its integrated with Windows Action Center for quick notifications if you miss any call. It was rolled out with Microsoft’s Windows 10 Anniversary update.

“It goes without saying, but we cannot wait for you to get your hands on the latest version of Skype and let us know what you think. We’ve poured our energy and passion into creating something truly special, and this is just the beginning,” The team said.