Skype is one
of the best voice over IP services and instant messaging clients that
comes bundled with a powerful set of calling, video, messaging and
sharing capabilities. The program can be run on various platforms, such
as Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, BlackBerry 10, iOS, Symbian and
Windows Phone, as well as Windows 8.1 tablets and touch PCs.
Account registration and prior configuration settings
You may sign in using your Skype account or skip this step by entering your Microsoft or Facebook authentication parameters.
As
soon as you are able to sign in, the program reveals a configuration
wizard designed to help you check your sound and video by testing your
speakers, microphone and webcam, and set a profile picture by taking an
image or uploading a custom photo from your computer
Intuitive user interface
Taking
into consideration that the utility aims to integrate calling, video,
messaging and sharing options into a single layout, it manages to
successfully deliver a clean and smart design so you won’t get lost
navigating or tweaking its features.
Skype lists all your contacts in
the main window, provides quick access to recent conservations, and
lets you search for contacts by name, Skype name or email, or you can
save a phone number.
What’s more, you can check out updates from your
contacts, call mobiles and landlines with the aid of the built-in dial
pad, create a group for sending instant messaging and files, and change
your status (Online, Away, Do Not Disturb, Invisible or Offline).
Calling and video features
Skype
gives you the possibility to call anyone else on Skype, call mobiles
and landlines worldwide, set a group of people together on one call or
video call, get your Skype calls forwarded to any phone, as well as
enable a smart video feature for getting closer with a face to face
catch up.
Sending messages and sharing data
The tool
gives you the freedom to send a message during video sessions, make use
of the instant messaging service for chatting with your friends, as well
as create voice messages.
The instant messaging panel is kept very
simple, and you may insert various emoticons, drag and drop files (be
they documents, images, photos or videos) directly into the conversation
window, search for words using Bing, remove or copy messages to the
clipboard, edit sent messages directly in the conversation panel, and
sort messages by Skype or SMS.
Contact management and other handy features
You
can view the profile of a user, rename it, add it to Favorites or a
custom list, mark conversation as unread, block a person, view old
messages, remove a user from Contacts, and hide the selected
conversation.
What’s more, the tool lets you send contact details on
Skype by simply dragging and dropping the contact into the chat, share
your computer screen, as well as send instant messages, enable video
calls with your Facebook friends, and view news feed directly from
Skype.
Skype lets you back up your contacts to VCF file format, sort
contacts by online or name, reveal Outlook contacts, hide those who are
offline, and enable IM notifications.
Features
Free unlimited worldwide phone calls to anyone else on Skype, anywhere in the world
Skype video (webcam), see who you are talking to with free video calls
Chat with up to 100 people in group chats
Superior sound quality – better than your regular phone
Your calls are encrypted “end-to-end” for superior privacy
Friends list shows you when your friends are online and ready to talk or chat
Works with all firewall, NAT and routers – nothing to configure!
Super-simple and easy to use
Based on cutting edge peer-to-peer technology developed by the creators of Kazaa and Joltid
Other Important Features
SkypeOut.
You can call a real phone number from Skype. This is not free like
Skype to Skype calls but is cheaper than what the call would normally
cost.
SkypeIn. For people to be able to call your Skype account from a
phone, you need a SkypeIn number to give to them. Receiving calls from
phones doesn’t cost you anything but will charge the caller the same
rate as if they were calling a real phone.
Video calls. You can make
video calls for free. This enables you to see the person you are talking
to and for them to see you too.
Conference calls. You and 24 other
people can engage in a conference call. This makes having group
discussions with staff that are located in various parts of the world
much easier.
File Sharing. You can easily send files to any of your
Skype contacts. There are no size limits for the file, which is a
benefit over email restrictions. For security reasons, before the file
transfer can begin, the recipient has to approve the transfer, thus the
person has to be online for the file transfer to take place.
Instant
messaging. In addition to talking with your contacts, you can type
messages to them while you are having a voice conversation or if you
cannot talk to them at a particular moment.
Text messaging. You can
to send text messages to any cell phone in the world. The rates vary but
are generally cheaper than what a text message usually costs.
Voicemail. If you want people to be able to leave you voice messages while you are on another call or offline.
Whats New
Skype 8.119.0.201 Multilingual - Official homepage
MS Windows
GNU/Linux
macOS
