Skype translation now available for landline calls

Since 2014, Skype to Skype calls enjoyed real time translation when needed. Now, Microsoft, the parent company has expanded the service to landlines and mobile phones.

“We’re excited to announce the next milestone for Skype Translator: voice translation for calls to mobiles and landlines on Skype Preview,” the company announced in a blog post. “You can now use Skype to call people on their phones and communicate across languages, even if they do not have Skype.”

Those part of the Windows Insider Program can get access to a Skype Preview release for PCs that will give a taste of how it works. The Windows Insider Program is open to anyone.

Skype Translator currently supports nine spoken languages – English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese (Mandarin), Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Arabic, and Russian.

“The more Skype Translator is used, the higher the quality of translations. We’re excited about this next milestone as it expands to getting more people using Skype Translator,” states the official release.

The new version of Skype Preview also includes other new features. Here is what else to look for: You can introduce friends and family on Skype by sharing their Skype contact details, capture and share video messages with friends even if they’re not online, and mark conversations as read or unread.

Lastly, the new release also allows you to forward calls to a mobile or landline. Of course you will need paid Skype credits or a subscription to test the features.