Skype for iPhones, iPads now works with Apple Maps, Calendar for better multitasking
Microsoft updated Skype for iOS to version 6.6 on Monday, bringing some time-saving functionality to the chat portion of the communications app.
Skype is now integrated with both Apple Maps and your calendar on an iOS device.
The software also includes phone number detection in chat windows. Tapping on a phone number in Skype chat will open the Skype dialpad with the number pre-populated for a quick and easy voice over IP call, for example.
Addresses, times and dates are also auto-detected and highlighted in Skype chat.
Tap an address in the communcations software and Skype will open Apple Maps to show the location; helpful to quickly see where you or your friends might be heading.
Likewise, the calendar app opens if you press on a linked date and time in Skype chat. From there, you can easily create a new calendar event with details automatically populated from information in the Skype chat, including a link back to the chat URL in the event notes.
Here's a short video peek at the new features, showing how they can save time on an iOS device.
Microsoft's Skype team also added an active call banner to the top of Skype's chat section for a quick return to the active call, as well as an unread message counter.
These changes in Skype reflect Microsoft's continued push to better integrate its services across other software platforms; a strategy that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella continues to fully embrace.