Skype Group Calls Free On Windows and Surface Tablets; Windows 8.1 OS Users To Get The Feature

Group video calls are now available for free for Windows and Surface tablets users, Microsoft announced.

In a blog posted on Skype.com, Microsoft said that since they offered Skype group video calls for free to "existing platforms" and saw a dramatic increase in group video calls usage, they will now bring the Skype "feature to Windows tablets and Windows 2 in 1 devices."

The group video call feature allows four or more members to participate in conferencing format, with the most talkative people shown on the screen.

Microsoft noted in the blog post that they found group video calls occur between three to four participants, but a user can "call up to 10 people" and "their videos will show up once they start speaking."

When someone becomes idle or not talking, the group video call will allow a user to double tap on the tile of the inactive member so they can see them, and re-double tap to go back to the gallery of all the participants.

Users can also multi-task while the group video call window is active on their screens. They just need to "resize Skype so that it only takes up part of your screen."

Skype is Microsoft's answer to Google's Hangouts, however, PCWorld reported that Hangouts has always been free for group video chats for up to 10 participants.

Skype has announced in a previous blog post that they already have two million users and promises an active Skype Community to provide technical assistance to those who are having problems using Skype in Windows.

However, Microsoft stated that Skype group video call for free is currently available for Windows and Surface tablets that support Windows 8.1 operating system only. And although group calls are working on Windows Phones, it only supports audio.

Check out this video to see how the new Skype group video calling will work: