Skype notifications for Outlook.com and OneDrive on the web have been available since last year. However, Microsoft did not offer users a way to turn notifications on and off. This naturally meant that whenever Skype wanted to notify something, it would send a flood of pings. One to the open Skype app, and one each to Outlook.com and OneDrive, if those services were open in a browser tab. Considering Microsoft wants users to use services seamlessly, this was a messy experience. Indeed, for professionals who likely have all three services running simultaneously, it was outright annoying to get three equal notifications. Of course, if you were away from Skype and just received the notification on a single service (Outlook.com or OneDrive on the web), it was a welcome addition. Luckily, Microsoft responded to user concerns and introduced the ability to turn off notifications. If you have been following Microsoft as long as we have, you will be aware the company often takes its merry time giving customers what they want. With that in mind, the ability to turn off notifications was welcome, but it was not the granular kind of interaction users wanted. An upcoming update for Skype will move another step in the correct direction. Microsoft is now letting users have more customized control over which notifications they allow or turn off.
Deeper Skype Notification Controls
Considering instant messages and calls are the focus of Skype, the company has started there. Starting “this week” users will be able to control notifications for those features for Outlook.com and OneDrive on the web. Importantly, you don’t have to leave those services to manage the notifications, provided you are linked through a Microsoft Account.
