You’ve heard of the option to mute your own microphone during a Skype call. But muting the person on the other end of the line? Not so much.
However, a new Skype Preview update for Windows gives users the opportunity to do just that. In the new Insider build Skype adds to the ability to mute people in group calls and enables it on one-on-one calls too.
In the release notes (via Neowin) Microsoft says: “In this week’s Insider build, we’re making it easier for you to control your calls! While you may have already noticed that you can mute people in a group call, we’ve brought that to your one-to-one calls as well.”
Why would Microsoft add this option to a one-on-one call? Well, it seems strange on the surface, but there are plausible examples. If you’re on a Skype call and your phone rings you may want to mute the Skype call to ensure there’s no background noise, while ensuring the person you’re Skyping with can hear.
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Of course, you might just want to mute a friend, or family member, or colleague if they’re just getting on your nerves, while sitting their nodding intently as if you’re listening.
In this preview, Microsoft is adding a new View Profile option that it says makes “it easier for you to get to know who’s on the call (and message them privately)!” This could definitely be a useful feature on group business calls.
It’s not clear when the option will roll out to all versions of Skype on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, but we’ll keep you posted. If you’re looking for the preview version, you’ll need 8.42.76.55 and 14.42.54.0 for desktop and Windows Store respectively.
Are there times when you wish you could mute people on your Skype calls? Is this an unnecessary feature? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.