WhatsApp requires syncing through your phone and lacks many essential app features. Skype also delivers one of the best Windows 10 experiences among popular messaging apps. But the current state of Skype is easy to use and works well for chatting, calling, and video calling. Skype's gone through quite a few design changes, not all of which were well-received. I've used Telegram for a long time and think it's an excellent service, but its lack of video calls made it fall short for my vacation away from my wife and dogs. I didn't want to jump between multiple apps when chatting with the same person. The reason I was inspired to switch over to Skype was my hunt to find a single app that allows me to communicate through text, voice, and video from all of my favorite platforms. Skype on iOS (Image credit: Windows Central) Microsoft says Skype usage is up, but in both raw numbers and anecdotally, people aren't flocking to Skype like they are to some other services. During the current health crisis, I was perplexed that no one I know even talked about using Skype. Many have switched over to Zoom, though that has security concerns right now, while others stuck with services like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. With millions of people working from home and locked down, people have scrambled to find a service to stay in touch with friends and loved ones. I'd imagine that many people are in the same boat right now when it comes to jumping between services. But I've found myself jumping from app to app every day for years on Windows because no one can agree on which service to use. Apple users have a seamless experience with iMessage and FaceTime.

And yet, almost none of us use it to message each other.

But something stuck out to me recently, almost every single person I communicate with on any of these services also has a Skype account. I occasionally also use Discord, SMS messaging, and even Twitter messaging because people I know are on so many different platforms. I use WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Slack, and more to stay in touch with people. My phone and PC have entire sections dedicated to messaging apps.

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