Microsoft strips ads from Skype in a move toward “user-centric design”

If you’ve used Microsoft’s Skype in recent years, you’ve probably noticed that the user experience is less than ideal because of the pervasiveness of ads in the software. Fortunately, that’s going to change in a new update coming to all platforms in the near future.

In the latest release notes for Skype Insider build 8.125, product manager Irene Namuganyi writes, “We’re excited to announce that Skype is now ad-free! Our latest update removes all ads from Skype channels and the entire Skype platform, ensuring a smoother, decluttered, and more enjoyable user experience.”

Whereas there were previously ads in the “today” section of the application, it will now be ad-free, showing just the relevant newsfeed content. There won’t be any ads in conversation views, either.

Other major features in the Skype update include improved AI image creation—you can now more directly access the feature from the chat window or top bar, the UI has been improved, and other improvements—and the introduction of OneAuth integration on the iOS app. (OneAuth was already supported on Skype for Android.)

Skype isn’t the behemoth of online communication it was long ago, though it’s still popular for international calls in many cases, and it still has quite a few users.

But this update is interesting in the larger context of Microsoft’s software strategy. Ads have been popping up all over Windows and other Microsoft experiences, like the Start menu. Anyone who’s using Windows or Microsoft’s web services right now is too familiar with the company’s aggressive efforts to get users to start using the Edge web browser or to try the Copilot AI tool.

Does this Skype update herald a scaling back of that approach to the company’s software business in response to criticism about a less-than-ideal user experience? We have no way of knowing, but this is nice to see if you’re still a frequent Skype user.