Skype for iOS gets support for group calls

The Skype app for iOS has received an update that makes it possible to have group conversations with multiple Skype users. According to Microsoft, the iOS version is the first Skype app for smartphones to have this option.

The group calling option has been added in version 5.4 of Skype for iPhone. When Skype users are chatting in a group, one of them can press a button to start a group conversation. It is also possible to turn a regular one-to-one VoIP conversation into a group conversation by adding new participants.

According to Skype, the group chat feature for iOS is completely new: Microsoft, owner of Skype, says it has never offered such a feature on smartphones before. There is currently a limit of up to four participants, but Skype says it may increase this limit in the future. Whether the feature will soon be available for other mobile operating systems, such as Android and Windows Phone clients, is not yet clear.