What you need to know
- The latest version of Skype Preview is powered by Electron rather than React Native.
- The move could remove several features from the Skype Preview app.
- The change comes with v8.58.76.92 of Skype Preview.
The latest version of Skype Previews appears to be powered by Electron rather than React Native. A recent update pushed Skype Preview to v8.58.76.92 and brought a major shift for the app. Aggiornamenti Lumia shared a screenshot of the latest version, and the ensuing Twitter thread discussed the impact of the changes on Skype.
According to podcaster Florian B, swapping to Electron rather than React Native removed several features, including:
- People app integration
- Syncing with Outlook
- Automatic Microsoft account sign in
- App pausing and working in the background
- A title bar that follows Fluent Design guidelines
- In-line notifications
The app icon in the taskbar for the latest version of Skype Preview is also an older icon. In a follow-up tweet, Florian B added that push notifications and OS call integration are gone in the latest version of the app.
As this is a preview version of Skype, Microsoft could make significant changes before rolling things out to the public.
If you'd like to test out Skype Preview, you can sign up to try it on Microsoft's website.
