Some usability improvements have been added for Ubuntu

Mar 2, 2017 02:07 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has announced that Skype 5.0 for Linux entered Beta stages of development after being in Alpha for more than eight months, during which it received numerous builds that users were able to take for a test drive.

As you can see, not only that the status of the application was changed from Alpha to Beta, which means that it should be more stable and reliable, but also the version number. Skype's version scheme was bumped to build 5.0 from 1.x, showing Microsoft's commitment to offer Linux users a modern VoIP client that's feature rich and on par with the Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows builds.

"Since the launch of Skype for Linux Alpha a few months ago, we have been focused on building a new experience that is in line with Skype’s ongoing transition from peer-to-peer to a modern cloud architecture," reads the announcement. "We want to create a Linux version of Skype that is as feature rich as the existing Skype on desktop and mobile platforms."

As for the new features included in Skype 5.0 Beta for Linux, we can mention voice call support, allowing users to make both mobile and landline calls from their PCs using Skype credit. It's also possible to make one-to-one video calls with other Linux users using the same version of Skype, but also with people using Skype for Android, Mac, iOS, and Windows.

Other than that, Skype 5.0 Beta for Linux comes with support for viewing shared screens from other Skype desktop clients on Mac and Windows platforms, as well as better integration with Ubuntu's Unity Launcher for displaying the number of unread conversations. Also, Do Not Disturb and Away status are now displayed for online contacts in the contact list.