Microsoft removes ads from Skype but leaves them in Windows 11's Start menu

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A new Skype update brings an ad-free, smoother, decluttered, and more enjoyable user experience to users across all platforms.

Skype Insider Preview on Android
Skype running on an Android Phone (Image credit: Future)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft is bringing an ad-free experience to Skype.
  • The new update also brings OneAuth integration to Skype for iOS and revamps the AI image creator experience on Skype Desktop.
  •  The update also ships with a couple of fixes, including a fix for a bug that prevented users from sending media while connected to a 5G network.

Remember Skype? Microsoft is about to make the platform awesome again by scrapping ads (what most might consider the most hated feature across the ecosystem) from its entire interface.

According to Microsoft's Skype product manager Irene Namuganyi:

"Our latest update removes all ads from Skype channels and the entire Skype platform, ensuring a smoother, decluttered, and more enjoyable user experience."

Users will now enjoy an ad-free experience while interacting with the app across all platforms. Microsoft indicated that the change was influenced by user feedback. It wants to provide them with a new experience that allows them to "focus on your chats without any ad distractions, making your Skype experience cleaner and more user-friendly."

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More changes for AI in Skype

Aside from bringing an ad-free experience to Skype, Microsoft is also rolling out notable changes to the app's dedicated AI Image Creation tool, including streamlined access directly from the chat window or the top bar and a revamped user interface.

The new update also brings OneAuth integration in Skype for iOS. It will allow users to sign in automatically to Skype if they are already signed into another Microsoft app like Teams. 

Lastly, the update also ships with a few fixes for known issues, as highlighted below:

  • Fixed an issue where some users could not send media when connected to a 5G network.
  • Fixed the bug where users could hear the ringtone but were unable to pick up the call on iOS.

As you may know, Microsoft rolls out these updates in waves. It's possible that not all Skype Insiders can test new features and bug fixes immediately. 

Microsoft has faced backlash for incorporating ads across its Windows 11 operating system with the most recent campaign featuring full-screen multipage popup ads pressuring Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 before its imminent end of support.

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Kevin Okemwa
Kevin Okemwa
Contributor

Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You'll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.

1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • GraniteStateColin
    Maybe it's the Home vs. Pro difference, but I don't see any ads in my Windows 11 Pro Start Menu. Not even sure where they would appear because unlike the wonderful Windows 10 Start menu, Windows 11 it's just an ugly and boring field of icons. I know MS usage telemetry told them that most people didn't take advantage of all the power of the Live Tiles and other features of the Windows 10 Start menu, so fair to get rid of that stuff, but they also broke core features that we've had for many generations of Windows, including Jump Lists when right-clicking on pinned items in Start. That it's missing frow Windows 11 remains a daily pain point for me.

    It seems Microsoft is trying to bring the smartphone experience to Windows, which is fine, but they have confused the Desktop with the Start menu. The DESKTOP is the equivalent to the home screen, not Start. Start is like the Apps tray. This has seemed so obvious since Windows 10, but MS apparently disagrees.

    Don't get me wrong, on net, Windows 11 is my favorite version of Windows and I would not want to revert to any older version, but the changes to Start, for me, have been a big step backward.

    I also miss being able to pin Windows 7 Gadgets to the Desktop -- something that would have made even more sense with Live Tiles and again shows that MS doesn't understand the role of the desktop for PC users vs the Start menu. Limiting them to a pop-up Start menu made no sense just like limiting Windows 11 Widgets to the Widgets Bar diminishes their value significantly. If you want to monitor something that changes over time like weather or market performance, then you should be able to keep it visible on your desktop at all times. Even Apple and Google get this distinction, hence the ability to have Widgets always visible on your home screen (the Desktop equivalent for an iOS or Android device). As long as they limit these to Start (Live Tiles) or a Widgets Bar (Widgets), they will not see much use.
    Reply