Microsoft recently released Windows 10 preview build 17704 with a whole new Skype messaging app. The new version of Skype is built on React Native, instead of XAML, and while it’s still a true UWP app, the app is not available on Windows 10 Mobile and lacks support for relay feature.
Fortunately, the new Skype app available in build 17704 is much better than the old UWP app. But the SMS Relay feature which was present in old Skype app is no longer available in this version.
Windows 10 Mobile users could set the Skype UWP app as their default messaging app and when they have done that, they could use the Skype UWP app on their Windows 10 PC to send text messages. However, this feature was somewhat buggy and Microsoft didn’t care to fix it because of obvious reasons. It appears that Microsoft has ditched the SMS Relay feature with new app.
As Microsoft is replacing the old feature-less app with a modern version of Skype, we can expect to see more updates in the near future which will bring the full functionality of the desktop app to the new app.
Skype app is built on React Native but it support features like Live Tile. One of the great features that Microsoft added to new app is the ability to put Skype contacts in the My People hub in the Taskbar.
Even though the new app has support for notifications, there is no option to send replies from the notification popup itself.
Microsoft could still relaunch such a feature in the coming months or years. Microsoft will soon launch the Your Phone app on Windows 10 allowing Android and iOS users to send text messages through their PC from this app.
