Skype is one of the most popular software application used to make free voice and video calls
and chat over the Internet. It is extremely easy to use, and even the newbies can use Skype in a professional manner.
Skype provides a facility to make free calls to other Skype users and charges minimal fees for making calls to landline and mobile phones. Skype has a rich feature set which includes instant messaging, file transfer and video conferencing.
Skype Setup
In this post, I will tell you how to set up and use Skype to make free calls.
Skype can be installed by following the steps given below:
1. Download Skype here. It is available free of cost. A Premium version. But the free version should suffice, so you can start with it.
2. Run the installer file. And click I agree-next.
3. There may be some third-party offers. Select these features only if you want to install them or carry on with your installation, else uncheck these options.
4. Now wait for the package files to be installed. This process usually takes around 5 minutes.
Skype has now been successfully installed on your system.
Read: How to resolve the Skype installation failed message.
To use Skype, follow these steps:
1. You must have a Skype account. If you haven’t got one, you can make an account here. It is free of cost.
2. Launch the Skype application and Sign in using your Skype account.
3. After you have successfully logged into your account, you will see a window where you can find options for Chat, Instant Messaging, Video Call, File transfer etc.
4. You can add contacts by searching for a person by his name/email address or Skype name.
5. Once you have added contacts, you can use all the features of Skype.
Clicking on the Video Call button will allow you to make video calls.
You can call a person both on Skype as well as on their mobile phone and landline telephones. Plus if you want to have a video call or a video conference with a group of people, you can do that just by clicking on make a Video Call.
The UI may have changed in the recent versions of Skype, but you will get these settings marked in red as shown below.
Before you start using Skype, you may want to check outs some Skype Login Security and Safety Tips and harden Skype privacy settings. See this post if you need to merge or link Skype and Microsoft Account. This post will show you how to troubleshoot No Video, Audio or Sound in Skype calls on Windows. Do also check out the Skype Extension for Google Chrome browser as it adds more to your experience.
If you want to record Skype calls, check out these free Skype Recorder software.
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