Microsoft ends Skype support for Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows RT

Microsoft will end support for Skype for Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows RT in October. The software company has announced this. The cessation of support would have to do with the transition from p2p to cloud for the voip app.

In addition to Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows RT, support will also end for OS X 10.6 and below. The users of both OS X and Windows RT can continue to use Skype in the form of the web client that works in regular browsers, according to the Skype support page. Microsoft is transitioning Skype from p2p connections to cloud connections, which would require stopping support. Microsoft claims that the switch to a cloud architecture is necessary for video calling and improving security, among other things.

After October, Microsoft for Skype will support Android 4.0.3 and later, iOS 8 and later, and Windows 10 Mobile. It is the first time that the Redmond-based company has announced the end of support for a well-known proprietary service for Windows Phone 8.1.

According to the most recent figures from advertising company AdDuplex, 86.2 percent of Windows smartphones in use are running Windows Phone 8 or 8.1. That percentage will probably gradually decrease until October, now that only models with Windows 10 Mobile are for sale and more people will perform the update. Windows 10 Mobile is available for many phones, but not all models.