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Not content with merely launching<\/a> its own take on Instagram and Snapchat\u2019s Stories, Skype today is adding another copycat-like feature to its app: photo stickers. The company says it\u2019s introducing<\/a> new \u201cPhoto Effects\u201d (as it\u2019s calling these stickers), which include things like face masks, decorative borders, witty captions, and more. However, unlike the photo stickers you\u2019ll find in other social apps today, Skype will actually suggest the stickers to use based on the photo\u2019s content, day of the week, and other options.<\/p>\n The new feature is based on technology Microsoft introduced earlier this year in a silly camera app called Sprinkles<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Sprinkles app leverages Microsoft\u2019s machine learning and A.I. capabilities to do things like detect faces in photos, determine the subject\u2019s age and emotion, figure out your celebrity look-a-like, and suggest captions. It then lets you swipe through its suggestions \u2013 for example, various props to add to your photo, funny captions, and stickers displaying its guess about your age, among other things.<\/p>\n Similarly, Skype will suggest its photo effects automatically with a press of a button.<\/p>\n To use the feature, you\u2019ll first snap a photo then tap the magic wand icon at the top of the screen to access the photo effects.<\/p>\n As you swipe right through the suggestions, you\u2019ll be prompted to add things to your photo like a smart face sticker, the weather, your location, a caption that references the day (e.g. \u201cturn that frown upside down, it\u2019s taco Tuesday!\u201d), face masks, a celebrity look-a-like, or even a mystery face swap.<\/p>\n Microsoft says these photo effects will change often \u2013 like on different days of the week or holidays, for instance.<\/p>\n The resulting image can be shared with Skype friends in a conversation or posted to Skype\u2019s new Highlights feature, which is the Instagram\/Snapchat Stories clone introduced<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n Like Stories on other platforms, Highlights are somewhat ephemeral. But instead of lasting a day, they\u2019re available for a week. They\u2019re also not shared with your entire Skype network \u2013 only those who have opted to follow your Highlights directly.<\/p>\n Highlights remains a mobile-only feature for now. When Skype\u2019s\u00a0revamped interface launched to desktop users<\/a> in October, Microsoft told us Highlights was not a priority for desktop integration at this time, based on user feedback. However, the company insisted it still aims to bring Highlights to the desktop in a later release.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rsoftsolution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/RSSPoster_PRO\/cache\/30035_skype-smart-photo-effects.gif?resize=334%2C680&ssl=1\")
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