Skype Overhauls Android App, Hits 100M Installs

Skype today celebrated a milestone 100 million Android app installations with the launch of a revamped app for Google's mobile OS.

With Android 4.0, Skype wanted an app "that makes your interactions easier and puts conversations first," the company said in a blog post.

In order to make interactions on the app faster and easier, it now includes a clean-looking list of recent conversations upon launch, making it simple for the user to send a quick reply. Starting a conversation is also more convenient thanks to an automatic messaging window that pops up when you tap or swipe to the Contacts or Favorites tab. That messaging window also includes easy access to video or voice calls.

Skype insisted that version 4.0 isn't just an update, but a whole new app. "We didn't just give Skype a makeover, we rebuilt it from the ground up to be faster and more reliable," the company said. "We went beyond design and fundamentally changed the way Skype was built, focusing much of our effort on stability, performance, and load time."

More updates are in the pipeline for the months and year ahead, the company promised. Late last month, Skype outlined some of the specific goals it has for Skype on mobile, such as increasing the app's performance and quality without draining the device's battery and a more consistent experience of the app across different devices.

This isn't the only facelift for the Skype app recently. It recently launched video messaging for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Blackberry that allowed users to send short videos to offline friends.