It seems that Microsoft is now bringing its Skype application closer to the other services its owns by allowing users to log into their Xbox Live, OneDrive and Outlook.com via their Skype accounts. Microsoft has been working on its mobile applications on Android and iOS in order to include the simplified sign-in.

Below you can read the official announcement made by Microsoft:

“We’ve been working to bring Skype and Microsoft closer together and are excited to announce that soon you will be able to use your Skype Name to sign into other Microsoft services like Xbox, Office and OneDrive. With a single sign-in (and an email address for certain services) you will soon be able to have fun on Xbox Live, access your photos and documents through OneDrive, check your email on Outlook.com, and connect with your friends and family on Skype.

If you have noticed some changes to the Skype sign-in screen, password change and account recovery flow, that’s because these are now managed by Microsoft. None of these changes will affect your ability to use Skype—as usual, you can still sign in using your Skype Name”.

Microsoft also made clarifications about the changes and the effects that will take place once this update is released. The official statement can be found below:

“Starting next week when this capability goes live, if you already have a Microsoft account, we recommend updating it with your Skype account. This lets you access Skype, Office, Xbox and other Microsoft services with a single account. After you update your Skype account to a Microsoft account, you can continue using your Skype Name, with your Microsoft account password to sign in, even for Skype. Please note that you can only update your Skype account to a Microsoft account once.

However, if you don’t have a Microsoft account, or want to keep things separate, you’ll need to add an email address to your Skype account. This makes it easier to get back into your account if you forget your password.”

It seems that Microsoft is finally integrating Skype into its main portfolio after quite some time, something we’re a bit surprised didn’t happen sooner.

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