Just in: How Microsoft dodged the Yahoo bullet

Topic: Social Enterprise

Microsoft adds Facebook video calling to Skype for Windows

Summary: Skype not only powers Facebook's video calling feature, but it now offers Facebook-to-Facebook calling directly from its Windows clients. The Mac update is coming soon.

Emil Protalinski

By for Friending Facebook |

As expected, Microsoft today released Skype for Windows version 5.8, which among other new features allows you to conduct a Facebook-to-Facebook call from within the Skype client. You can download the new version from skype.com/go/download.

Here's the changelog for version 5.8.0.154:

  • Full HD video-calling
  • Support for Facebook audio and video-calling (beta)
  • Group screen sharing
  • Hide offline Facebook contacts
  • Push to Talk
  • Skype updater service
  • Bing Bar integration

The new version means Skype users can check their Facebook News Feeds, instant messages, and video call their Facebook friends all from within Skype. Even if your Facebook friends are not on Skype, they can still pick up a Skype instant message or video call from within Facebook.

To start a Facebook-to-Facebook call from within Skype, you must first connect your Skype and Facebook accounts (sign in to the Skype client, click on the Connect to Facebook tab, and log in to Facebook). Once that's done, you can select a Facebook friend and hit the video call button in Skype – your friend can then pick up the call from Facebook.

Even before this update, Skype already let you see when your Facebook friends are online, read their status updates, instant message them using Facebook Chat, comment and Like their posts, check and update your News Feed, all within the client. After helping Facebook launch video calling for its 845 million active users, the company has now ported the feature over to its desktop application as well.

While this new version is only for Windows, the Mac-equivalent of this update is still in the works. The latest version is Skype 5.4 Beta for Mac.

See also:

Topics: Social Enterprise, Collaboration, Microsoft, Windows

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Talkback

8 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • RE: Microsoft adds Facebook video calling to Skype for Windows

    The Windows version of Skype should be better than any other version of Skype. Since Microsoft knows Windows better, and more people use Windows go where the money is. If someone has MAC, they can always delete Ios, and install Windows on it. There should only need to be one version of software. If you're foolish enough not use Windows, tough luck.
    Stephen-B
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Microsoft adds Facebook video calling to Skype for Windows

      @Stephen-B
      better yet install Linux and go with google!
      The Linux Geek
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Microsoft adds Facebook video calling to Skype for Windows

        @The Linux Geek Google is part of the axis of evil. Put Google and add in a little Aple junk, and what you have is a mixture of the two most evil companies available.
        Stephen-B
        Reply Vote

  • 2 lame products make a worse product

    M$ skype + facebook are utterly useless.
    Only integration with google services might make people to use it.
    The Linux Geek
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Microsoft adds Facebook video calling to Skype for Windows

      @The Linux Geek
      In what ways is MS Skype + FB clueless? Basically, they combined one of the largest VOIP with the largest social network. That seems to make a lot of sense to me. And how does integration with google services make people use it?
      KevinN206
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Microsoft adds Facebook video calling to Skype for Windows

      @The Linux Geek

      Oh yeah, what FB needs is more advertising. You go with Mad Men, I'll use a software development company ;-)
      tonymcs@...
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Microsoft adds Facebook video calling to Skype for Windows

      @The Linux Geek : Get a friggen life. Why don't you recompile your binaries again or something. Seriously, why do Linux people have nothing to do with their life [aside from compiling and recompiling their binaries] by trolling to non-Linux blogs?
      Gisabun
      Reply Vote

  • Errr.....

    There was a Skype for Windows plugin release last year to do what this update does. Only difference was that it wasn't publicized as much.
    Gisabun
    Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close