Skype Insider 8.51.76.74 (Desktop): the return of status colors

Actually, the only difference compared to the "regular" Skype 8.50.0.38 version is that the status icon is in this Preview release is changing colour when in Away status. The 8.50.0.38 remains blue, while the 8.51.76.74 changes the colour to yellow. In the case of Do Not Disturb and Invisible, both versions have tray icon with corresponding colour.

What is more interesting is that the Settings screen is now a separate window, which is movable and resizable. However, this window is still modal, i.e. it is not possible to interact with the main window while the Settings screen is open.

It's also green in its normal state (the classic look!), which is what made me notice it immediately. Instead of blue.

And was "Away" even something that could be set before via the tray icon?  In looking at 8.50.0.38 now, I see only Active/DND/Invisible. You had to go to the avatar to set Away, which was crazy.

I so seldom (as in never) use DND and Invisible, that I didn't know that they changed color in 8.50.

On the Settings window, it doesn't remember its size, which is annoying but not surprising. Heck, Skype can't even remember its startup window position.

I'm happy to see that the Preview icon is green while the "regular" is still blue. I'm running both releases simultaneously on the same computer, and this helps me to differentiate between these two versions, so I know which one I have to Quit.

Its true that the Away status could not be set from the tray icon, but I hope that this is something that will eventually introduced in one of the forthcoming updates.

The movable/resizable Settings window is just a curiosity. As long as this window is modal, the ability to move/resize this window is not of much use.

This is really new, very new.

 Split View Mode is available in the latest Skype for Desktop Insider Preview.

Yes, that's nice to see, and it puts the lie to the statement several months ago about this not being developed for Desktop because of resources blah something resources.

Like with the Settings window though (and it matters there because it's a little ridiculous to have to scroll through settings when it could be resized appropriately once and then never again), this mode has a terrible problem with remembering window sizes. That alone is enough for me not to use split view.

It'll be interesting to see which of these features, or maybe both, make it into the imminent 8.51. If they both do, then your halcyon days of being able to differentiate clients at a glance will have come to an end.

BTW, is Skype Win10 Insider (the Store app) still stuck on 8.50 for you, too, or is it just me?

How do you enable this/ get the separate screen? I d/l 8.51.76.74 for this feature but cant see it anywhere....

The option to enable Split View Mode is available from the 3 dots (more) button.

If you are not seeing this option, then this feature might not yet been enabled on your account. With my installation of the 8.51.76.74 update, the Split View Mode option was first enabled 2 days after the application was installed. New features are activated server side.

The "return of status colours" has now happened also with the latest "regular" 8.51.0.72 update. The system tray icons for the "regular" and Preview version are now identical and with the same behaviour. However, the 8.51.0.72 update does not yet have the resizable/movable Settings window, neither the "Split View Mode", which is still only available in the Preview 8.52.76.74 version.

Since the release notes mention split mode:

https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA34778/release-notes-for-skype-for-windows-mac-linux-and-web

And it's still not there in the regular version, I have to assume that this is going to be another one of those features rolled out gradually for the version you're already on. 

The new "message composer" isn't there either, nor bookmarks.

Oddly, it doesn't mention one thing actually there: status.

So much for release notes.

I have just tested all the 6 accounts I own, and on none of these accounts the mentioned new features are available yet. They are still only available with the Insider Preview release. So, perhaps tomorrow, or day after tomorrow or a week from now. We will wait.