How to Skype

When Microsoft purchased Skype, it picked up what could be considered one of the world’s largest digital telecommunications systems it could find. Here’s how to Skype on Windows 8.1 and harness Skype’s reach to communicate with your friends and family.

 

Installing Skype

Go to the Start Screen by pressing the Windows key on your desktop or laptop’s keyboard, or by pressing the Windows Key located near the bottom of you tablet or convertible’s display.

Open the Windows Store. It’s the app represented by a green and white shopping bag near the bottom-left of our example.

Type Skype into the Search box in the top-right corner of your screen. Click on the blue Skype icon when it appears.

Click or tap the Install button on the top-left corner of Skype’s Windows Store page.

Wait for your Windows 8.1 device to finish installing the app. When it’s done it’ll surface a notification indicating that the app is ready to use.

Go back to the Start Screen and click the down arrow with a circle around it in the bottom-left corner of your screen.

Look for the Skype app among the apps installed on your PC and open it.

Your device will ask you for permission to let Skype access your Microphone. Click or tap Yes.

Your device will also ask you for permission to let Skype run in the background. You’ll also want to click or tap Yes here too. If you don’t, Skype won’t be able to notify you of calls and messages as they happen.

 

How to Place a Call To a Landline Phone Using Skype

If you’ve signed up for a monthly subscription to Skype or already have Skype credit thanks to a prior Surface or Xbox One purchase, then you can actually use the service and apps to call landlines from absolutely anywhere. Here’s how to use Skype to call a landline phone.

Open Skype.

Click or tap on the phone icon in the top left hand corner of your screen.

You can click or tap on the numbers on the left hand side of the screen to enter the area code you are calling and the number. Users with Skype Credit or a monthly Skype subscription can call mobile phones and landline phone easily. You can use the drop down menu in the top left corner of your screen to specify which country you are calling.

If you don’t have a Skype subscription or any calling time, simply add some using the buttons to the left and right.

 

How to Add Another Skype User

Open Skype.

Click or tap on the magnifying glass icon in top-left corner of your screen.

Type the full name of the person you’re looking for, or enter the Skype username that the person you are trying to contact sent to you.

If you don’t already have that person’s contact information, click or tap Search Directory. Select that person’s profile from the menu and click or tap Add to Contacts.

 

How to Place an Audio or Video Call To Another Skype User

Open Skype. Click or tap on the People area on the right-hand side of your screen.

Click or tap on that person’s Skype username.

Type a message in the message box to send a text. To place an audio or video call tap or click on the video or phone icons in the bottom-left corner of your screen.

There you have it. You’ve successfully learned how to Skype. Now that you know what you’re doing there are a few important things to remember.

For starters, it’s important to remember that Skype is available on all sorts of devices. There are versions of Skype for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, Windows 7/ Windows Vista, Windows Phone, Android and more. You can also use these applications to call and message users who have Skype installed on their mobile devices too.

The second thing you should really remember is that you want to be mindful of what time zones other users are in. For example, calling someone outside – or even inside – the United States when its 9 p.m. your time could be as late as midnight on the eastern coast of the United States. Skype displays a clock in each chat window to remind you what time it is for the person your calling.

Have fun Skyping!