Ever since Skype first launched fifteen years ago, people have been using hacky work-arounds to record calls for later examination. There’s a dozen different programs written for Mac, Windows, and Linux (which even get their own Skype support page!), but it’s still inaccessible to people that don’t have the time or inclination to fiddle with system sound settings.
Thanks to a report from The Verge, we now know that’s all about to change. Microsoft is rolling out a cross-platform Skype recording feature by the end of the month, according to the report, with a cloud-based system that will record everyone’s video and screen sharing during the call.
“Call recording is completely cloud-based, and as soon as you start recording, everyone in the call is notified that the call is being recorded,” a Microsoft Skype rep told The Verge. “Call recordings combine everyone’s video as well as any screens shared during the call.”
Thanks to the cloud-based implementation, call recording will reportedly work across every platform, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and even Linux. A new desktop app is also coming, which will include an interface that more closely resembles Skype’s mobile apps.
According to The Verge, the new features will begin rolling out at the end of July, and eventually be available to all Skype users across platforms — although there isn’t a more precise timeline just yet. The news will be bad for software developers who have Skype recording tools, although the limitations of Microsoft’s built-in features, like the fact that it notifies everyone on the call that you’re recording, or involves (presumably paid) cloud storage could keep the apps alive for now.
