Skype is prepping to move its messaging service forward this fall, but doing so means leaving older OSes behind.
Soon, phones running certain versions of Windows Phone, Android and iOS will no longer receive updates for Skype, allowing the service to instead focus on more popular (and recent) operating systems and transition to a more mobile-compatible cloud infrastructure, the company announced today.
Specifically, Windows Phones running Windows Phone 8.1 or older will no longer be supported. iOS users will need iOS 8 or later to use Skype at its fullest, with Android users required to run Android 4.0.3 or later.
The Skype team adds that Android devices need a ARMv7 processor or better to fully utilize its app, though phones with ARMv6 processors can still work, albeit without video functionality. Same goes for iOS users, as older versions of the operating system will still function, but lack key features.
Despite being owned by Microsoft, which is very insistent on you upgrading to Windows 10, Skype did promise that Windows 7, 8, XP, and Vista will still be supported, ensuring that late adopters can still enjoy peer-to-peer video calling.
Skype has put up a specific list of requirements to run the service going forward on its support page. If your phone does wind up getting left in the dust, you may want to consider other services before the next update goes live this October.
