New Skype update for Android makes finding your friends easier

Many online apps and services do seem to be interconnected these days – take a look at the apps on your smartphone or tablet, how many of them have access to your Facebook account, and with that, are on a certain leash when it comes to checking out your contacts and connections? Well, Skype 5.0 for Android is now available, where it will allow Skype to go through your smartphone’s address book as it searches out matches between the names on your list and with the corresponding Skype accounts.

Now you can easily connect with friends and family through Skype’s new integration with your contacts list. The company announced Wednesday that it’s rolling out the Skype 5.0 update for Android, about a month after it launched a similar version for iPhone users. You’ll be able to find your contacts on Skype so that no matter where you are in the world—or whether you’re just trying to avoid using up your minutes—you can do so without a hitch. In the coming months, Skype will eventually ask you to verify your phone number, then peruse through your contacts for matches between Skype’s database and your address book. From there, you can link up with those who are relevant to your life. Skype also promises it won’t “spam your friends.” And if you’re one those folks who use a Microsoft account to sign in to Skype, the app will also tap into your contacts from Outlook.com and Windows 8. The new version of the app is now available in the Google Play Store.