Messenger to Skype transition begins April 8 for Windows desktop users

A couple of months ago, news about Microsoft bringing Windows Live Messenger users to Skype, thereby letting go off Messenger, grabbed headlines. While the company did state that the transition should begin soon, users were left without a date – well, not anymore! On its Big Blog, Skype’s Parri Munsell confirms that the transition from Messenger to Skype on Windows desktop will begin on April 8. Munsell adds that the entire process will take a few weeks. The process will begin with their English language clients and will end with Brazilian Portuguese on April 30 or later. 

After Microsoft acquired Skype, we all knew that the tech giant had big plans for the world’s most popular VoIP service. In November last year, when reports first got in, Skype declared in an official blog post that Microsoft is phasing out Messenger and has started migrating contacts to Skype.

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The tutorial for easy transition

It stated that Messenger users will be able to reach their Messenger friends on Skype and will have the ability to instant message (IM) and video-call their contacts by updating to Skype.

As per Skype, this effort started with the release of Skype 6.0 for Mac and Windows a few weeks ago, which allows users to sign into Skype using a Microsoft account. Now Messenger users need to update to the latest version of Skype, sign in using a Microsoft account, and they will find their Messenger contacts moved there.

To ease its Messenger users into Skype, the latter has a tutorial of a Messenger user getting to know how to use Skype and its instant messaging experience. 

Munsell writes, “Skype offers many features Messenger users know and love such as emoticons, group instant messaging, and screen sharing, and we think you will discover many other advantages of using Skype.”

Further, Messenger users upgrading to Skype will also be encouraged to use the Skype app on their mobile devices and sign in using their Microsoft account. 

Skype recently released its latest version, Skype 6.0, for Mac and Windows desktop users. The update brought to the table Microsoft and Facebook account integration. Users can now sign into Skype using either their Microsoft or Facebook accounts. In Skype 6.0, users can send instant messages to their Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail, and Outlook.com contacts via Skype. Users with Microsoft accounts can merge the MS account with Skype. All they have to do is sign into Skype with their Microsoft accounts.

At the time, Skype announced that it has in the pipeline a feature with which users can make audio and video calls to Windows Live Messenger customers on Skype desktop clients. The feature will be rolled out in the weeks to come.

Interesting activities are happening back at Skype. Just this morning we reported that Skype was testing a new video messaging feature with users in a few countries. The popular video messaging feature is letting some of its users send short video messages to their friends, if they are not available for a live chat. The messages can be as long as 3 minutes and for the moment, those using the latest version of Skype on Mac, Android or iOS can use this new feature.  

Interestingly, those on other platforms will still be able to receive these video messages. This support for Windows, though, is conspicious by its absence, and Skype reportedly has confirmed that it is working to bring that ability to Windows by the end of April. The report quotes a spokesman as saying, “Video Messaging is in early release for testing in several markets for Android, iOS, and Mac with functionality to send and receive video messages.” He added, “Users in these markets across all Windows desktop and mobile platforms can receive messages, too. We will have send capability in Windows by end of April.”