If you’re running Skype on Android, you’ll be able to run the calling and messaging app even better without your battery draining as quickly with the new version 4.7 for Android. The aggressive battery savings that comes with the latest version of the app will allow users to have Skype running in the background without sucking too much juice.
“It has been a challenging process, because to do this we’ve had to transform to the way Skype technology works,” Skype said. “Actually we’re still undergoing that transformation – the process is not yet complete. But we are now at a stage where you can enjoy the fruits of our labor.”
“Skype users will be able to receive group messages instantly without battery impact “in the near future.”
To achieve these amazing battery savings, Skype had to “temporarily” turn off instant notification of messages in group chats, but Skype also assures users that they will be able to receive group chat messages instantly without additional battery impact “in the near future.”
Still, if you don’t want to let go of your group chat notifications, there are some steps you can take to ensure they continue. Simply go to Settings then Notifications and make sure the Sync group messages in the background box is checked.
This version also includes the following fixes:
- Workaround for the KitKat bug which caused a runaway process when the camera was synced in the background.
- Fix for audio and video calling on tablets that do not have Bluetooth.
- Now lists your Windows Live Messenger contacts in the Skype (default) view, not just the All contacts view.
An update for the Kindle Fire version of Skype will be available later this month. For now, you can download Skype 4.7 via Google Play.