About Skype

Skype is among the oldest and most established of the video calling apps currently available.  Skype is owned by Microsoft and thus offers many of Microsoft’s accessibility features including great support for users of screen readers.  A free Skype account allows you to send and receive Skype messages, audio, and video calls, to other Skype users.  Skype’s free Live Captioning & Subtitles set it apart from the other video calling apps.

Skype has the following features:

• Chat (text messaging)
• Voice calls, one-on-one or groups up to 50 people
• Video calls, one-on-one or group up to 50 people
• Conference calls for up to 50 people for an unlimited amount of time for free
• Screen sharing
• Call recording
• Live Captions & Subtitles

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Compatible Devices

Skype is compatible with many devices including Android smartphones and tablets, Amazon Fire Tablets, iPhones, iPads, computers, and the Amazon Echo Show smart display.

Mobile Devices

The easiest way to use Skype on a mobile device is through the Skype app.

Android – requires Android 4.0.4 or higher

Download Skype for Android

Amazon Fire Tablet – requires Android 4.0.3 or higher

Download Skype for Amazon Fire Tablet

Apple iOS – requires iOS 10.0 or higher

Download Skype for iPhone

Download Skype for iPad

Computers

You can access Skype on a computer by opening the Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge web browser and going to https://www.skype.com/en/

You can also download the dedicated Skype for Desktop app on your PC or Mac.

Smart Displays

Amazon Echo Show

Please see our dedicated Amazon Echo Show page for detailed information and instructions on how to use Skype on the Amazon Echo Show.

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Instructions

One of Skype’s best features is that the way you operate the app is basically the same no matter what device you are using. The instructions below pertain to mobile devices and computers.

How to use Skype – Beginners Guide – video

One-on-one Calls

How to make a voice or video call in Skype – written instructions

How to make a one-on-one call: 

1. Find the person you want to call from your Contacts  list.
   • If you don’t have any contacts, then learn how to find a new contact on desktop or mobile.
2. Select the contact you want to call, and then select the audio , or video  button. If you want to make a group call, simply add another participant.
3. At the end of a call, select the end call  button to hang up.

Tip: You can also quickly turn any chat into a call – just select the audio , or video   button from your chat.

Group Calls

How to make a Group call: 

1. From your Calls  list select the new call button.
2. Select all the participants you want to call.
3. Select the Call  button. Note: For any group calls with more than 25 participants, they will be ringless. The group will receive a notification that the call has started and can select the Join Call button when they’re ready. For video calls with less than 25 participants, when you start a video  call, you can choose whether you want the call to ring everyone in the group or be ringless. Ringless calls will send a notification to participants without interrupting them with a ring and if anyone needs a little extra “nudge,” you have the option to ring them individually.

How to make a group call on Android 4.0.4 – 5.1:

1. From your Calls  list, select Start a new call.
2. Select New Group call .
3. Select all the participants you want to call.
4. Select the audio , or video  button.

Live Captions & Subtitles

Live captions & subtitles in Skype let you read the words that are spoken during an audio or video call. Live captions & subtitles are available in Skype on Android (6.0+), Android tablet, iPhone, iPad, Windows, Mac, Linux, Web, and Skype for Windows 10 (version 14). Live captions & subtitles are not currently available in Skype on the Amazon Echo Show.

You can turn on Live Captions & Subtitles for each call or enable Live Captions & Subtitles as the default for all Skype calls.

How to turn on Live Captions & Subtitles – written instructions

How to turn live captions & subtitles on in Skype:

1. During an audio or video call, select the more  button.
2. Select Turn subtitles on.

How to enable live captions & subtitles as the default for all Skype calls:

1. Select your profile picture.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select Calling.
4. Select Call subtitles.
5. Toggle on Show subtitles for all voice and video calls. Toggle Only Show subtitles for other participants on if you only want to see subtitles for other participants and not for yourself.

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Need more help?

Please contact us at info@ndassistive.org or 800-895-4728.  We welcome your requests for additional support materials and will do our best to accommodate them.