Offline Instant Message Delivery [ Edited ]

[HarryTheBustard]

This support page suggest that instant messages sent by Skype will be delivered to addressees when they're next online if they're off at the time of sending when sent via a Mac. (This page looks like a generic guide to the same though my guess is that it's probably for Windows.)  What isn't clear is whether it is possible to communicate so between the Windows and Mac versions.  (You would think so but never ASS-U-ME as you might make an ASS et cetera.)  It seems not as I don't get the messages that my wife sends me from a Windows Vista box when I'm offline and she doesn't get mine from my Mac when the reverse is the case.  (We both run the corresponding latest versions.)  The first paragraph here suggests the feature was pulled within weeks of version 5 coming out (for which platform it doesn't say) but given the guidance pages linked to above you wouldn't think that was the case.  (Then again Skype support is a bit of a bad joke.)  So, I'd like to know if it works and to what extent - i.e. on some or all three computer platforms.

[g4pilut · Accepted solution]

Looks like that support page is out-of-date and needs to be corrected.

IM's will defiinitely work between Windows & Mac running Skype.  I'm a Windows guy and I IM with Contacts using Macs all the time.  iPhones and iPads too.  But Skype hasn't had offline message storage in a while.  The way it works now both contacts have to be online at the same time for a message to be delivered.

If you send a message to a contact who is offline, it will be stored by Skype on your device and sent to the recipient next time you are both online simultaneously.

I've pointed out that support page to Skype.

[HarryTheBustard]

Thanks for letting me (and others) know.  (I was aware of the platform-interoperability, by the way, but not on this speciifc issue.)  So, my point about Skype support was justified - as was my recent donation to Wikipedia.  Now if only they had a decent issue tracking system as covered here - not to mention a development roadmap.

[g4pilut]

The Skype developers do have another feedback system that (I think ) they read.  It's here:  https://jira.skype.com/secure/Dashboard.jspa

In the meantime, I alerted a couple of contacts at Skype to that out-of-date support page. They said it was indeed overlooked and would be corrected.  Thanks for pointing it out. 

[HarryTheBustard]

Thanks again.  I knew about and have used the feedback service mentioned three times in relation to 2.8 - and given time will raise further issues that I have with the current version.  (Oddly there is no mention of any version above 5.1 on the Change Log and Versions pages there - though 5.3, which is current, and the beta 5.4 can be seen on the page linked to under Summary.)  As mentioned in my linked post there's no such service for mobile platforms and that's plainly stupid.  I've got a slew of issues to raise about the iPhone - a howling one of which I raised and another verified simply being ignored and then swept away when Skype Forums were replaced.  (They are no longer available - not even via Google's caching service.)  Thankfully I kept a copy of it and will resubmit it in the relevant area here.  Again, though, a proper service is needed.  Still, I digress and don't want to get off topic - especially as this one is now closed.  Then again I can feel a Jira request for offline messaging coming on.

[g4pilut]

Offline messaging caused a several day long world wide system crash last year.  That resulted in that feature going away.  I have no idea if Skype is planning to ever bring it back again but if I see your post on Jira, I will chime in that I'd like offline messaging back too. 

Good luck.

[phobik]

Is there a timeout limit to the amount of time the message remains stored waiting the other side to come online?

[Claudius Community Manager]

Yes, there is a timeout, after the timeout the messag will be market with an exclamation mark icon. The tooltip text saying "Message could not be delivered". I'm not sure about the exact timeout though. I guess it's 7 days.

[phobik]

thanks for reply

[Smily]

Yes I agree with you.. bringing back offline messaging would be in fact a great idea. I've been sent messages while offline and was not able to receive them for like a whole week because it did not coincide that we were both online. I believe it is stupid that they have removed this feature.
Thank you.