Add Skype to the list of products adding Snapchat-like updates this year. At this rate, by the end of 2017 your Texas Instruments calculator will have a “Stories” feature at the top.
This isn’t a bad development, though, with Skype announcing a redesign on Thursday that should make it more competitive in a crowded messaging space.
The most striking aspect of the update is “Highlights,” a feature similar to Snapchat’s Stories, which let’s you create a “highlight reel of your day” with pictures and videos. Your Skype friends are able to interact and respond with emojis or messages once they’ve seen your Highlights.
The redesign also introduces three new facets to messaging: Find, Chat and Capture.
Find allows users to search through old conversations, as well as for tickets to a game or a YouTube clip — anything you’d want to add into your message. Chat is its messaging platform with emojis. And Capture is another Snapchat-like feature, where it opens your camera in a conversation and lets you share pics or video. For good measure, you can also add text or stickers to your Capture message.
Since Microsoft bought Skype in 2011, it’s been angling to move beyond simply being a platform for calls and video conversations. The market is crowded with the likes of Snapchat, Messenger, and WhatsApp. But the latest Skype update aims to have users consider it as a viable messaging service as well.