Microsoft strips ads from Skype in a move toward “user-centric design”

Enlarge / A marketing image by Microsoft for the desktop version of Skype. (credit: Microsoft)

If you’ve used Microsoft’s Skype in recent years, you’ve probably noticed that the user experience is less than ideal because of the pervasiveness of ads in the software. Fortunately, that’s going to change in a new update coming to all platforms in the near future.

In the latest release notes for Skype Insider build 8.125, product manager Irene Namuganyi writes, “We’re excited to announce that Skype is now ad-free! Our latest update removes all ads from Skype channels and the entire Skype platform, ensuring a smoother, decluttered, and more enjoyable user experience.”

Whereas there were previously ads in the “today” section of the application, it will now be ad-free, showing just the relevant newsfeed content. There won’t be any ads in conversation views, either.