Skype Update: iPhone App Has Barely 1 Star On App Store After Recent Changes

Skype rolled out new updates last month, but people are so unhappy with it that now the iPhone app has only one-and-a-half star on the App Store.

Trying to catch up with other services, Skype’s 8.1 version brought changes that made the app look more like a social media platform resembling Snapchat. The new update came with features that included a new, fresh design with lively colors. Those who chat on Skype were given the option to insert reactions, emoticons and GIFs.

Read: Instagram Update: You Can Now Reply To Stories Using Photos, Videos And Boomerangs

The update also brought a Highlights feature that creates a timeline of what the user did throughout the day, which can be viewed by their contacts. The “reel” is made with photos and videos taken by users, similar to Instagram and Snapchat stories. Contacts can then react to a person’s Highlight with emoticons or starting a chat.

However, users weren’t happy with the changes.

“The layout looks and feels nothing like Skype, the chat system is a mess and the Highlights system just screams "we want to be as successful as SnapChat," said one user about Skype’s iPhone app.

Another user said : “The most recent skype iteration is one of the biggest upheavals of the system but is probably the biggest failure of an update I've seen.”

Read: Snapchat Update: How To Insert Links, Use Creative Backgrounds, New Voice Filters

Others asked Skype to bring back the old version.

“A year ago I gave Skype an overall 4.5 to 5 star rating but since the update my opinion has changed,” said a user on the App Store. “This new version is not user friendly which is the primary reason I chose Skype initially. I concur with all the other reviews, everything is so much more difficult and confusing than it has to be. I just want a simple easy way to check in daily with family overseas. Bring back the old Skype. Remember the motto ‘if it ain't broke don't fix it.’”

Android users also complained about the update, however the app had four stars in the Google Play Store, which is better than its rating on the App Store.

“The new update is horrible, needs a serious reality check,” said one user on Google Play this month. “Also it should, in my opinion go back to the way it was before easy to use and a great way of contacting freinds [sic] by video or call as I have now uninstalled the app becuase [sic] of the new update and won't be installing again until the problem is resolved …”

Others went on Twitter to complain about the update:

International Business Times has reached out to Skype about the complaints and will update the story when they get back to us.