Microsoft has added Cortana support to the Skype app for Windows Phone 8.1.
Skype 2.19 features, among other things, the integration of Microsoft's voice-activated personal assistant, Cortana. Though it's only available in the US at present, the UK will be getting Cortana soon.
When we do, we'll be able to start up a Skype call without opening the app. This works simply by booting up Cortana (by holding the search button) and asking something like "Skype get [contact] on screen."
Other improvements apply to Windows Phone 8 and non-US devices as well. These include the ability to edit your last sent Skype message, which should be handy for those critical spelling blunders. There's also support for 51 languages, which is up from 19.
Elsewhere, Skype updates now appear in the Action Centre alongside your emails and text messages. Skype's notifications and fast app resume features have also been improved.
Cortana launched in the US alongside Windows Phone 8.1 back in April. Despite the whole English language connection, Cortana struggled to understand British accents at the time, hence the lack of a UK release up to this point.
Hope of an imminent launch came just two weeks ago, however. Cortana's lead developer, Marcus Ash, revealed that Microsoft's ambitious voice assistant would be coming to the UK and China in "weeks not months."
Read more: Siri vs Google Now vs Cortana – Which is best?
Via: Skype blog