After announcing availability of free video messages for all Skype apps except for the Windows Phone one, Skype has now updated its iOS app to include the feature.
The latest update (version 4.9) allows users to send and receive unlimited number of video messages from their Skype contacts. Through Skype Video Messaging, users can record a video message of up to 3 minutes and send it to people on their contacts list if they're offline. The recipients will be able to watch the video message when they sign-in next time.
Skype had earlier stated on its support FAQ page that users can view video messages up to six months after they are sent. If users want to keep them for an unlimited period they'll have to subscribe to Skype Premium.
The update also makes sharing photos more reliable and brings in audio and video call stability improvements to the app, in addition to other general fixes and improvements.
While video messages was
introduced as a Preview (read beta) feature in February, it was part of Skype Premium, and users were offered a quota of 20 free messages after which they had to subscribe to Skype Premium for a monthly fee of $4.99 (if subscribed annually) in order to continue to use it. It was only available to users in the US and UK.
Earlier this month, Skype had
announced that its video messaging feature was now out of preview and available as a free and full fledged feature in Skype clients for Windows desktop, Windows 8, Mac, and its mobile clients for iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry.
The interesting omission is Microsoft's very own Windows Phone 8. It's ironical that Skype, which is owned by Microsoft, did not roll out the full-fledged avatar of this feature on the platform with which it offers close integration.
What's New in Skype for iOS version 4.9- Video messaging is now free and unlimited
- Audio and video call stability improvements.
- Share photos more reliably.
- Improved accessibility for video messaging.
- General fixes and improvements.