How To Skype On An Android Phone

Skype is the quintessential video and voice chatting app—and y'all tin apply information technology on both Android and iOS. While the Android version of Skype does support video calling, it'south not available on all devices.

Still, Skype is an splendid tool for making free or cheap phone calls—not only can yous call from one Skype account to another for free, just y'all tin can make domestic and international calls at extremely low rates using your device's data plan or Wi-Fi connection.

Stride 1: Install Skype

Skype is a gratis app for both Android and iOS devices. You can find the Skype iOS app in the App Store, while the Skype Android app is in the Android Marketplace.

Supported Android devices include: Samsung'due south Nexus S, Galaxy S, Droid Accuse, Tab 7; HTC'south Desire, Incredible Due south, Evo 4G, ThunderBolt, Flyer; Sony Ericsson's Xperia PLAY; LG'southward Revolution and Optimus Blackness; and Motorola'south Droid 3, Atrix, Xoom, and Photon. For a total list of supported devices, go to Skype for Android'southward Android Market page (click the "More" button in the Overview department to reveal the list). Skype requires Android 2.1 or higher.

Supported iOS devices include: iPhone (3G, 3GS, and 4), iPod Touch (3^rd and 4^thursday generations), and iPad (1 and ii). Skype requires iOS 4.0 or later on. If you have an iPod Touch 3^rd generation or an iPhone 3G, y'all will exist able to receive only video.

If you take an Android device, you may come across two versions of Skype—one chosen "Skype for Android," and one chosen "Skype Mobile for Verizon."* If you take a Verizon Android device, you may download the Skype Mobile for Verizon app (otherwise, download the Skype for Android app). Skype Mobile for Verizon does non allow you to place domestic calls, merely yous can still place international calls over a 3G or Wi-Fi connectedness. Skype for Android, on the other hand, lets you lot identify domestic and international calls over a 3G or Wi-Fi connectedness.

*For this article, I used Skype for Android, not the Verizon version. When I tested Skype for Android on a Droid X running Android 2.1, there was no video chat selection.

Step 2: Gear up up Skype

Android: Once Skype for Android is installed, tap on the app to open up it. You will be prompted to sign into your Skype account (or, if yous don't have a Skype account, to sign upward for one), using your Skype username and password.

Yous will then be prompted to sync your Skype contacts with your phonebook contacts. You can choose to sync all contacts, add phonebook contacts to your Skype list, or sync no contacts. If you lot add phonebook contacts to your Skype list, yous'll be able to easily telephone call your phonebook contacts straight from the Skype app.

Browsing contacts in Skype for Android.

On the chief Skype screen, y'all'll encounter four buttons: Contacts, Contempo, Call phones, and Profile. The "Recent" button shows recent events—for case, phone calls you lot've missed and instant messages your Skype contacts have sent you. The "Telephone call phones" button takes you to a screen where you lot can call a concrete telephone (as opposed to a Skype username), and the "Profile" button lets you update your profile and status message.

The primary screen in the Skype for Android app.

You tin can besides admission the Settings menu, where you can set upwardly notifications, IM options, and whether Skype starts automatically when you turn on your phone.

iOS: Once Skype is installed, tap on the app to open up it. You will be prompted to sign in using your Skype username and password. You must have a Skype business relationship already created to use Skype on your iOS device—there is no option in the app to create a new account. Y'all can create a new account for free by going to Skype'south website.

In one case yous've signed in using your Skype login details, you will be taken directly to your contact list. Initially, you'll take merely your previously saved Skype contacts in your contact listing. To see contacts from your telephone, tap the "Contacts" button in the top left corner. In the master Contacts menu you lot can detect contacts from your iPhone, just you cannot import them to your Skype contact list.

The Contacts screen in the Skype iPhone app.

The iPhone version of Skype has 4 tabs: Contacts, Messages, Call, and My Info. The Messages tab lets y'all transport instant letters to people on your Skype contact listing, while the My Info tab lets you gear up your contour, purchase Skype credit, and prepare voicemail.

Step iii: Make a Call

You lot tin brand ii types of calls using Skype: Skype-to-Skype calls and Skype-to-Telephone calls. The first, Skype-to-Skype calls, are free (though you may exist charged if yous are on a limited data plan), while the second, Skype-to-Phone calls, are billed at a low rate (for example, it's $0.019/minute—1.9 cents per minute—for calls to the The states).

To Make a Skype-to-Skype Call

Open up your Skype contact list. If y'all take an Android device, go to your Contacts list, tap the icon adjacent to where it says "All contacts," and cull "Skype." If yous have an iOS device, open up your Contacts list, tap the button in the upper left corner that says "Contacts," and, from the adjacent screen, choose "Skype Contacts."

Then choose the Skype contact you want to phone call, and tap "Phone call." You too have the option to send them an instant message, or, if you're on an iOS device, to offset a video call.

To Make a Skype-to-Telephone call

If y'all desire to call a regular phone line, tap the tab for Call phones (on Android) or Call (on iOS). If the person you want to call is saved in your phone'due south phonebook, you can tap the phonebook symbol (in the upper correct corner on both Android and iOS) and choose a number from your phonebook. Otherwise, y'all can use the number pad to type in the phone number you desire to telephone call. Be sure to change the country code to the correct country (because Skype is an Internet calling service, there are no "domestic" calls).

You will be billed by Skype for all Skype-to-telephone calls that y'all make using Skype's mobile apps. Calls are billed per minute.

Allow's Skype!

As I noted earlier, Skype is the app anybody thinks of when they retrieve of Internet calling. Skype is a smashing app for cheap data-connectedness or Wi-Fi calling, but information technology's non ideal if y'all want to make free Skype-to-Skype video calls.

For one affair, Skype video calling is available simply on iOS devices (and on some devices—such every bit the iPod Touch on 3rd generation and the iPhone 3G—you volition merely exist able to receive video) and certain Android devices. Still, Skype is easy to utilize, nearly everyone seems to have it, and information technology's available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Symbian, and a number of connected TVs. Plus, you can make cheap phone calls to real phone numbers—splendid if you routinely have to make international calls.

[Editor'due south Note: An earlier version of this article stated that Skype for Android did non back up video calling. Skype for Android at present does support video calling on 41 whitelisted devices.]