【the eroticization of gender: a materialist analysis of patriarchy and gender identity】

Skype released its redesigned mobile app this June in what was its biggest update since adding video calls in 2006. Microsoft announced today that those changes are the eroticization of gender: a materialist analysis of patriarchy and gender identitynow available on desktop.

SEE ALSO: Instagram just launched live video chat — and everyone else can watch

It's currently in preview for Mac and non-Windows 10 PC users. Windows 10 users can already see the finalized update in all its glory.

The redesign is a weird attempt by Skype to keep up with today's popular messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, iMessage, and WhatsApp. And most of the new features are just a ripoff of those brands.

Chat is now one of the most prominent features. Screen and photo sharing is easy to use, users can create story-like highlights, and there's a notification panel to stay on top of all of your conversations.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

As a millennial who has only used Skype for job interviews and relies on other platforms for every day life, I actually think the new look is cool and intriguing. You can react to a message like you can on iMessage, you can @ mention someone like Slack allows, there's a media gallery, and you can use emoji during calls. I definitely won't stop using my other apps, but this update makes me actually want to start using Skype just for fun. However, I wasn't a part of the original Skype generation.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

For the close to 74 million users who relied on Skype to contact friends and family before apps like FaceTime, Messenger, or Snapchat existed, the redesign can feel like a bit of a betrayal.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The new look can be chalked up to timeliness and the company wanting to target a new and larger audience. But it's also indicative of the increasingly informal office setting.

Other apps like Slack and Google Chat have brought GIFs, chatting, and personality into the light in most work settings. So there was no need for Skype to remain a boring old app with no eye-catching features that was only good for interviewing a job candidate across the country.

Skype says the reason the updated version is only available in preview is because it wants your feedback before releasing the final version. So, if you're not on board with the new design, give Skype a piece of your mind -- although there's no way Skype's going back to its old plain jane version.

Whatever your thoughts are, start embracing Skype's new identity. If you're into the redesign, make sure you're running the latest version to see all the updates on desktop. And if you're not into it, sorry, but this is what you get.

---

Featured Video For You

---

This couple had a tech-themed wedding that was super Instagram-worthy

---

Topics Apps & Software Facebook Microsoft Snapchat Social Media

• Life
• Digital Culture
• Shopping
• Deals
• Social Good
• Games
• Science
• Entertainment

• Best laptop deal: Get the 14
• Tributes flow after death of former Singapore president S.R. Nathan
• Artists honor late Stan Lee with stunning Marvel inspired portraits
• Woman's death
• Swole Jeff Bezos joins Instagram to tease his new ROCKET FACTORY
• Video of bears feasting on apples is weirdly soothing
• A 'Game of Thrones' alum just joined the new 'Star Wars' TV series
• Amazon selects New York and Northern Virginia for its 'second headquarters'
• Amazon Prime members gets 10% off Grubhub orders through Feb. 17
• PayPal bans Proud Boys, Gavin McInnes, and antifa groups

• Darnella Frazier won a Pulitzer for her video of George Floyd's murder
• Best musicals to stream after 'In the Heights' leaves you wanting more
• DC officially won't let Batman go down on Catwoman, and Twitter is in an uproar
• Everything you buy in this pop
• 'Kevin Can F**k Himself' is a sweet release of female rage: TV review
• How to connect Alexa to Spotify
• 22 best tweets of the week, including meat cubes, important jeans, and Lorde
• After Sandy Hook gun purchases spiked, so did accidental gun deaths
• New York Senate passes 'right to repair' bill
• Chance the Weatherman reports for duty

• Ms. Frizzle spotted at Science Marches across the globe
• 'Mars' Season 2 needs a makeover. Here's how to fix it.
• Simone Biles' fierce beach photo started an internet conversation on the male gaze
• Apple launches iPhone X touchscreen replacement program
• Apple's newest ad makes a haunting plea to take climate change seriously
• Team GB smashed it at the Olympics
• 'The Cleaners' shows why human content moderators can't be outsourced
• PayPal bans Proud Boys, Gavin McInnes, and antifa groups
• SpaceX will try to achieve 2 impressive feats on Monday
• Alex Trebek doesn't think Donald Trump would fare well on an episode of 'Jeopardy!'

• Google's data center raises the stakes in this state's 'water wars'
• Jimmy Fallon partners with Amazon to tell jokes with Alexa on Echo
• When will this terrible wildfire season in California end?
• Shoppers spent 30 billion dollars on Alibaba for Singles Day this year
• Swole Jeff Bezos joins Instagram to tease his new ROCKET FACTORY
• Facebook went down for large swath of East Coast
• Emily Blunt on what it's really like to play Mary Poppins
• PayPal bans Proud Boys, Gavin McInnes, and antifa groups
• Cibao FC vs. Guadalajara 2025 livestream: Watch Concacaf Champions Cup for free
• 'Pokémon Let's Go' is the Pokémon game I wish I had as a kid