Hate the iPhone’s native incoming call interface? You may like Scorpion
The iPhone’s incoming call interface has always left a lot to be desired, but a new jailbreak tweak called Scorpion appears to address all known complaints regarding it.
VoIP
Skype is testing the ability to share your iPhone’s screen during video calls
The ability to share anything shown on your iPhone’s display with friends, family or coworkers on a video call is coming soon to Skype for iOS and Android, Microsoft has confirmed.
How to use Skype’s end-to-end encrypted private conversations and calls
Skype’s end-to-end encrypted Private Conversations protect your texts and calls against eavesdropping and improve privacy by hiding the contents of your chats in notifications. Here’s how to use this handy security-minded feature in Skype for iOS and macOS.
Apple cracking down on VoIP apps in China that use the CallKit framework
Following the temporary removal of Skype for iOS from Chinese App Store last year, Beijing now wants the Cupertino tech giant to remove all apps that use its CallKit framework.
Microsoft is starting to roll out Cortana inside of Skype
Microsoft is now rolling out Cortana to Skype, allowing the personal assistant to find answers inside your chats.
Skype previews upcoming Mac app revamp
Skype Preview delivers most of the features Microsoft rolled out in June as part of Skype’s next-generation mobile experience.
AI powered, end-to-end encrypted calls now available in Telegram Desktop
The secure messaging app Telegram today enabled end-to-end encrypted calls in its desktop app. But is it as good as Piper Chat?
Audio-only calls rolling on Google Duo
Google announced during its Spring event in São Paulo, Brazil that audio-only calls would be coming soon to Duo, its one-to-one video calling app for iOS and Android. Today, the company pushed a small update to Duo for iPhone that enables this feature (which first rolled out to users in Brazil) for everyone. Available free of charge on App Store, Google Duo version 9.1 brings out VoIP audio calling along with unspecified bug fixes and product improvements.
Audio calling coming soon to Google’s Duo app
At an event in São Paulo, Brazil today, Google announced that its one-on-one video calling app, Duo, will be soon gaining audio-only calling on iOS and Android. The feature is already available starting today to customers in Brazil and will be rolling out to users around the world in the coming days. With the update, Duo for iPhone now supports both video and audio calling and effectively becomes a viable alternative to Apple’s FaceTime.
Amazon launches VoIP and video conferencing service Chime
Amazon Web Services, a subsidiary of Amazon, today announced it’s launched Chime, a new Voice over IP (VoIP) and video conferencing platform for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows and Android.
Aimed at business users, Chime allows you to host or join virtual meetings, take advantage of content and screen sharing across platforms and more.
Amazon promises noise-cancelling wideband audio and crystal clear high-definition video with the new service. Chime for iPhone is available at no charge from App Store. The Mac client can be downloaded directly from Amazon.
iOS 10 found to store call logs for up to 4 months, Apple explains
iOS 10’s been found to upload missed call logs from apps like WhatsApp and Skype to servers, as well as near-real time FaceTime call logs—even if iCloud backup has been turned off, according to a Russian company called Elcomsoft which makes iPhone forensic tools aimed at law enforcement agencies.
Elcomsoft CEO Vladimir Katalov suspects in an interview with Forbes that this is most likely a result of iOS 10’s expanded scope of call logging due to the new CallKit framework which was designed to make VoIP calls from apps like Viber, WhatsApp and Skype behave like cellular calls and integrate with Phone’s Recents and Favorites.
According to Apple itself, call log syncing through iCloud is a convenient feature that elevates user experience by allowing customers to easily return calls from VoIP apps.
How to hide Skype calls from the Phone app on your iPhone
Apple has recently introduced CallKit, a new framework available to developers that allows them to integrate their VoIP apps with the native Phone app user interface. In essence, this is a great addition that puts VoIP apps at virtually the same level as normal phone calls. Incoming Skype or WhatsApp calls, for example, are now displayed fully on the Lock screen, which is an improvement compared to how these calls were handled prior to iOS 10. Likewise, any call placed or received with a supported VoIP app will be logged into the Phone app like a normal call.
This tight integration of VoIP apps and the native Phone app UI can have a downside for some users who might prefer not to see their recent Skype calls history show up in their Phone app. If you’re one of these people, we’ll show you exactly how to stop Skype from showing recent calls in your Phone app.
