Skype for Mac Updated With Enhanced Chat & Search, Improved File Transfers & More

Skype release a significant update to their Mac video client this week, adding a number of improvements and fixes. I’m particularly thrilled with the improved chat scrolling, which fixes a gripe I have had with Skype for Mac for a long time.

Here’s Skype’s change log (from the official Skype blog):

New features and improvements in Skype 6.4 for Mac include:

  • Infinite chat scrolling
  • Improved find from a chat conversation
  • Improved file transfer
  • Improved send and receive contacts
  • Support for Simplified Chinese

And a description of the improved chat scrolling:

Infinite chat scrolling

We have introduced a new way of loading history. Each time you scroll upward, more and more messages will be loaded from history. Scrolling is motion sensitive, the faster you scroll the more messages load. To jump back in history. Ctrl + click anywhere (or right click) in the chat and select “Jump back “ and select the period you want to jump back to. We have also separated dates from the timestamps and created date sections instead to make it more visible in the chat. Skype will index all chat history when you first login and consume less resources after indexing completion.

While there aren’t any truly major changes in the update, it does a nice job of fixing a lot of minor gripes with previous versions, and is a highly recommended update. For more information, visit the Skype blog. The update can be downloaded directly from Skype’s website.

J. Glenn Künzler

Glenn is Managing Editor at MacTrast, and has been using a Mac since he bought his first MacBook Pro in 2006. He lives in a small town in Utah, enjoys bacon more than you can possibly imagine, and is severely addicted to pie.