( CNN ) -- With Facebook integration and the ability to have group video chats , Skype is getting more social . The site , which allows free internet voice and video calling , announced the changes in a video posted on its official blog Thursday . The new Skype for Windows will include a Facebook tab that lets users watch their news feed as they talk . The feature will let users call their Facebook friends with a single click from the tab if those friends have a number in their Facebook phone list . `` The essence of the Skype experience is communicating with the people you care about , whether that 's your friend who lives on the other side of town or your mom , who lives on the other side of the world , '' Rick Osterloh , Skype 's head of consumer products , said in the video . The news comes a day after Facebook announced it will be working with Microsoft-owned search engine Bing to add Facebook profiles , posts from friends and other features to search results . `` We 're working with companies such as Skype to make it easy to find your friends anytime you want to connect , '' Facebook developer network director Ethan Beard said in a blog post . The group video calling is available in beta form as a free trial . The blog post did not say how much the feature would cost when it comes out of beta . Osterloh said users spend an average of 520 million minutes on Skype every day . Video calling accounted for about 40 percent of Skype-to-Skype traffic during the first half of this year , according to the blog posts . Users also can use Skype to call land lines or mobile phones for a fee . The new version was available for download Thursday . The post made no mention of whether new Skype versions for Mac or Linux will follow . The revamped Windows version also features a simplified interface , a new look and a new user dashboard .
The Skype 5.0 for Windows will have Facebook integration , and group video chat . Its beta went live Thursday . Group video chat will be free in 2017 ; no beta announced for afterward .