Microsoft is
launching a new Video Messages feature for Skype this week. The company has
been working on the feature for a number of months, having previously revealed it a little early, and it debuts on iOS, Android, and Mac. Designed
for online and offline messaging, Video Messages lets Skype users send up to three
minutes of video to each other. Although it won't initially be available for
Windows users, those using the Skype for Windows or Skype for Windows Phone
will receive the messages with a link to view them online.
The feature
works on Android and iOS by using the font facing camera, with an option to
switch to the rear. You can send up to three minutes of video to users who are
either online or offline and the video will be delivered in the chat part of
Skype. The Mac client is very much the same, but there's an optional to
download the video messages you receive. It's certainly no Vine rival as the feature doesn't let you record in loops, but
Skype tells us that it's an early beta still in testing.
"We’re
pleased that there’s interest for Video Messaging to come to Skype for Windows
and Skype for Windows 8," says a Skype spokesperson. "We’ll let you
know when we expand the service to the platform." We tested the feature
out on all available platforms and it seems to sync the video messages just as
you'd expect. If you want to download the messages on the Mac side, they're
available in MP4 format. The Video Messages feature is available to all US and
UK Skype users initially, with a rollout to other countries expected in the
future. [TheVerge]
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