Screen Sharing on Skype 5.7 Beta

[RachelEllie]

I've just downloaded the beta version of Skype (5.7.123). I've been trying to screen share during a video call and a window keeps popping up that states that I must download Skype Premium in order to perform group video calls and to share my desktop... Is this true? If it is, why do I have to suddenly pay for screensharing when it has always been free on previous versions and is advertised as being free?

[KainDrake]

Thank you for pointing this out. I was actually going to get on here to complain about that. My girlfriend and I would always share screens to show eachother something interesting, but then we find out we need premium. Why is this being charged now? This was always free. I hope it's only for the beta. I hope once the final release is out, that it'll be free again. Because that just sucks.

[ruwim · Accepted solution]

This is actually a new behaviour introduced in Skype 5.7 Beta. Screen sharing is still free, but screen sharing with video requires Premium account. As a new and very confusing option, you need now to switch sending video off before starting screen sharing if you don’t have a Premium account. Even more confusing is, that this behaviour takes only place if both parties are on 5.7 Beta.

[RachelEllie]

Thank you so much for clarifying that. I spent about 2 hours trying to fix it by redownloading various versions of skype (but skype 5.5 kept crashing so I finally gave up on that).  It works perfectly. I just wish that what you said was more intuitive for users or that there was a tutorial highlighting major changes (such as the new screen sharing steps).

[RachelEllie]

Check below! It's actually a simple solution.

[lizwillett3]

YOU ALL JUST SAVED ME A HUGE HUGE HEADACHE and possibly the loss of a new job... THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT THIS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!