Skype Qik: Why You No Longer Have to Worry About Making a Skype 'Date'
— -- There's now an easy way to share videos of your baby without over-sharing with your friends on social media.
Skype has long connected family, friends and colleagues who are sprinkled around the globe via video chat, however time zones, schedules and busy jobs can make it difficult sometimes to schedule a "Skype date."
Enter Skype Qik. The company released its new app today, which allows users to send 40-second videos of "can't miss" moments to individual contacts and groups, allowing the conversation to flow throughout the day.
The app, which is available for iOS, Android and Windows devices, operates like a sophisticated version of Snapchat. Facebook Messenger offers a similar video feature allowing users to send 15 second videos with the push of a button, which can then easily be forwarded to other contacts.
Skype Qik distinguishes itself from the pack by giving users control over their media even after they've sent it.
The app displays the eight most recent videos in a conversation via a film strip -- with the videos disappearing from devices and the Skype servers after two weeks, the company told ABC News. There's also a delete function that allows a sender to remove their video from the devices of recipients even sooner, if they choose.
Once you've downloaded the app, enter your phone number and you're free to send a message to anyone who is in your phone contacts, meaning there's no need to add friends to the app.
Friends who don't have Skype Qik will receive a text message with a link to download the app. They'll then be able to retrieve their video message.
Tech neophytes don't have to worry, either. The design and functionality of the app is simple -- making it likely to appeal to a large swath of people looking to stay in the loop with friends and family.
