Hello list,

So, some initial feedback after updating to Skype 8.x

Muscle memory issues with the new keystrokes aside which are always going to take a bit getting used to, I’m finding certain aspects to be quite frustrating. I’ve already written Microsoft about some of this via the feedback option in the app as well as on Twitter.

Anyway, the immediate thing is that with this updated version, there doesn’t seem to be any means to have the Skype ringer alert go to a separate audio source like external or PC speakers. There’s only one option for speakers which if you’re using a headset, which I’m pretty sure most if not all of us are using is the only viable option. More so for those of us who have a paid number. The end result is that when you get an incoming call, the ringer quite easily drowns out anything Jaws (in my case) may say. I don’t use the audio ducking feature as I find it to be too distracting. One can go into the speaker settings in Skype and lower the volume or the speaker settings in Windows 10 to lower Skype volume, but all that accomplishes is that in addition to the ringer being lowered, the call audio is lowered as well. Also, I’ve already twice missed an incoming call because I took my headset off for this or that reason and didn’t hear the ringer alert fast enough through the headset to put it back on and get to the Skype window in time to pick up.

I had mentioned previously that the hotkeys also no longer to appear to be universal. Indeed, this is the case. So now, when you get an incoming call, you have to scramble to the Skype window since at least for me, I’m not taken there automatically and if I’m in a different virtual desktop, the taskbar short cut win key plus X, Y or Z won’t work and try to listen to figure out if I’m finally in the Skype window which again, as described previously, isn’t as easy since the ringer is drowning everything else out. The few times I’ve had a chance to take an incoming call and used the control plus shift plus P command, Skype actually initiates an outgoing call as well as answering the incoming call. This . . . has proven to be problematic to say the least.

More than once already, I’ve found myself trying to orientate myself on the Skype screen to maybe tab to the answer button instead of using the hotkey to avoid this issue with answering/making a duel call, but so far, I haven’t been able to access the answer/accept call button in time.

This leads me into the other issue. I so far have not been able to find any of the telephone settings for Skype. Settings in Skype appear to be super basic. Nothing however for voicemail greeting, managing call forwarding and or ringer time. I know I can probably if need be access some of these features via the Skype web account, but talk about a needless step backwards.

One other thing for Jaws users (I don’t use NVDA enough to know how the dictionary manager works), I had a bunch of saved entries for phone numbers to speak this or that clinic. It seems that the Skype app is Chrome based so, they didn’t port over. I’m sure I can go into my Jaws settings and try and play around with changing a dictionary manager file association, but again, just another inconvenience.

IN broad terms, the app all in all seems accessible and navigating around like a webpage is easy enough, but it lacks some serious functionality.

It is much easier to make calls, but receiving/answering… it’s still rough to say the least.