Skip to main content

Latest Skype preview now lets you chat with up to 50 people on a video call

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft is testing a key change to its Skype video conferencing software that could make it more useful. The latest beta version of Skype is now introducing an ability to enter a video call with up to 50 people, a change from the current standard release which has a maximum limit of 25 participants.

Likley aimed at competing with the service Zoom, this new ability could prove useful for companies and other large businesses already using Microsoft’s other Office 365 products. For a less annoying experience, once a call is started in a large group of up to 50 people, notifications will be sent out instead of ringing each individual individually. This means that the workflow of Skype users who are not able to join a large call won’t be impacted. The latest Skype preview version also enables the audio and video buttons on these large scale calls for additional privacy, as well as a notification feature for smaller groups.

Recommended Videos

If you have enough people to try out this group calling ability, you can head over to Microsoft’s website and download the latest Skype Insider version right now, currently at version 8.41.76.62. You’ll need to be a Windows Insider to download this version on Windows 10, but it also is available on MacOS and Linux without signing up for any beta programs. Once testing is finished with Skype Insiders, you can expect Microsoft to roll it out to the public in the next few weeks or within the month.

Skype has evolved quite a bit since it was first introduced in 2003, and it even recently received a feature which allows users to blur out the background on calls. Now integrated with Windows 10, the service is growing in popularity, and Microsoft continues to work on the overall experience after it acquired Skype in 2011.

It all comes after Apple added a group calling to FaceTime, which currently supports video calls of up to 32 people. Either way, Skype is not the only solution available for video calling. There are plenty of alternate video conferencing apps available on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. The list includes Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. There are also several messaging apps which help you chat with your family as well. We have our picks here, and our choices include Telegram, Line, Viber, and more.

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
Forget Dall-E, you can sign up to create AI-generated videos now
A frame from an AI-generated video in claymation style.

Dall-E, ChatGPT, and other AI-generation technologies continue to amaze us. Still, AI image-generation tools like Midjourney might seem boring once you see the new, AI-powered video-generation abilities that will soon be available to us all.

Runway provides an advanced online video editor that offers many of the same features as a desktop app. The company has distinguished its service from others, however, by pioneering the use of AI tools that help with various time-consuming video chores, such as masking out the background.

Read more
Microsoft is bringing ChatGPT to your browser, and you can test it out right now
Microsoft's redesigned Bing search engine.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed in a private briefing with the press that a ChatGPT-powered version of the Edge browser and Bing search engine is available now. The overhauled search and web browsing experience is designed for natural-language questions, replacing critical aspects of the browser with AI tools.

That might sound familiar. Google and other search engines have been leveraging AI for several years to compile search results, but Microsoft's take is different. It's "your AI copilot for the web," offering up new search, answer, chat, and create functions.

Read more
Instagram now lets you buy products right through chat
Instagram app on the Google Play Store on an Android smartphone.

Instagram's latest chat feature has nothing to do with chat themes and everything to do with being able to pay for products via direct message.

On Monday, Instagram's parent company, Meta, announced the new payment-by-chat feature via a tweet.

Read more