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This article was published on March 18, 2014

Skype updates Android app with promise it will no longer drain your battery


Skype updates Android app with promise it will no longer drain your battery

Skype today updated its Android app with major battery life improvements. You can download the new version now directly from Google Play.

The Microsoft-owned company promises that Skype for Android users can now leave the app running on their device “all day without negatively affecting battery life.” Skype 4.7 for Android 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.

The aggressive battery life savings are in part possible because Skype has temporarily turned off instant notification of messages in group chats. The company will add the feature back “in the near future” once it no longer impacts battery life as well. If you can’t wait till then, go to Settings, tap on Notifications, and check the newly added “Sync group messages in the background” box.

Image Credit: Robert Scoble

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