Skype

Skype is a program for voice and video calls. This means that you can call from your computer to another computer, as well as from your computer to mobile and landline phones. Text messaging is also available. To start using Skype, you need a Microsoft account. You sign in through the authorization window of the program, which also offers you to create an account. The next step is very simple: find your friends through a search, add them to your contact list and call them using the microphone and camera. Please note that Microsoft retired the Skype service on May 5, 2025; users were moved to Microsoft Teams Free, where they can sign in with the same credentials and keep their chats and contacts.

You could call phones only after buying Skype Credit or a subscription. Calls between Skype users were free. The price of calls varied depending on the country you called, but in general Skype was a competitive alternative to conventional international calls. Group video calls were free of charge as well. You could create a virtual meeting with your friends from the comfort of your home, or use Meet Now to hold video conferences with colleagues and partners. Other conveniences include transferring files directly in a chat, quickly sending contacts via chat (drag and drop a contact into a chat to share it) and sharing your screen with the other party. Skype became a very popular tool and was used to communicate with clients, conduct training sessions remotely, call various support services, etc. Unfortunately, there were some drawbacks. After the service became Microsoft's property, the client was redesigned several times, and users regularly complained about stability problems with the program and with the servers.

With the spread of smartphones Skype successfully migrated to mobile devices, so you could call from phone to phone via Skype, as well as from phone to computer and back. Since the shutdown, paid calls to phones, Skype Numbers and voicemail are no longer available, and Microsoft recommends Teams Free instead.

Skype enabled global communication through voice and video calls, instant messaging and file sharing for personal and professional use.