How To Set Up Skype Account On Android

Skype is the quintessential video and vocalism chatting app—and yous tin utilise it on both Android and iOS. While the Android version of Skype does support video calling, it'southward not available on all devices.

Still, Skype is an excellent tool for making free or inexpensive telephone calls—not only can you call from 1 Skype account to some other for free, merely you can make domestic and international calls at extremely low rates using your device's data plan or Wi-Fi connection.

Step 1: Install Skype

Skype is a complimentary app for both Android and iOS devices. You tin find the Skype iOS app in the App Store, while the Skype Android app is in the Android Market.

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

Supported iOS devices include: iPhone (3G, 3GS, and 4), iPod Touch (3^rd and 4^th generations), and iPad (1 and 2). Skype requires iOS 4.0 or later. If you lot have an iPod Touch 3^rd generation or an iPhone 3G, you will be able to receive simply video.

If you accept an Android device, yous may run into two versions of Skype—one called "Skype for Android," and one called "Skype Mobile for Verizon."* If you have a Verizon Android device, you lot may download the Skype Mobile for Verizon app (otherwise, download the Skype for Android app). Skype Mobile for Verizon does not allow yous to place domestic calls, simply yous can yet place international calls over a 3G or Wi-Fi connectedness. Skype for Android, on the other hand, lets you identify domestic and international calls over a 3G or Wi-Fi connection.

*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.one, in that location was no video chat option.

Stride 2: Fix upwardly Skype

Android: One time 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 you don't have a Skype account, to sign up for one), using your Skype username and password.

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

Browsing contacts in Skype for Android.

On the principal Skype screen, you'll meet four buttons: Contacts, Recent, Phone call phones, and Profile. The "Recent" push shows recent events—for instance, telephone calls you've missed and instant messages your Skype contacts take sent you. The "Call phones" button takes you to a screen where y'all can call a concrete phone (equally opposed to a Skype username), and the "Profile" button lets yous update your profile and condition bulletin.

The main screen in the Skype for Android app.

You tin can also access the Settings carte du jour, where you lot can fix upwards notifications, IM options, and whether Skype starts automatically when you turn on your phone.

iOS: One time Skype is installed, tap on the app to open it. You volition be prompted to sign in using your Skype username and countersign. You must have a Skype account already created to use Skype on your iOS device—there is no option in the app to create a new business relationship. You tin create a new account for free by going to Skype's website.

Once yous've signed in using your Skype login details, y'all will be taken directly to your contact list. Initially, you lot'll have only your previously saved Skype contacts in your contact listing. To run into contacts from your phone, tap the "Contacts" push in the top left corner. In the main Contacts menu you can find contacts from your iPhone, merely yous cannot import them to your Skype contact list.

The Contacts screen in the Skype iPhone app.

The iPhone version of Skype has four 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 profile, buy Skype credit, and gear up voicemail.

Step iii: Make a Call

You tin brand two types of calls using Skype: Skype-to-Skype calls and Skype-to-Phone calls. The first, Skype-to-Skype calls, are free (though y'all may be charged if yous are on a express data plan), while the second, Skype-to-Phone calls, are billed at a low rate (for example, it's $0.019/minute—i.9 cents per infinitesimal—for calls to the United States).

To Make a Skype-to-Skype Call

Open upwards your Skype contact listing. If you have an Android device, go to your Contacts list, tap the icon adjacent to where information technology says "All contacts," and choose "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 next screen, cull "Skype Contacts."

And then choose the Skype contact yous desire to phone call, and tap "Telephone call." You also take the option to send them an instant message, or, if you're on an iOS device, to start a video call.

To Make a Skype-to-Phone Phone call

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

Yous volition be billed by Skype for all Skype-to-phone calls that you brand using Skype'south mobile apps. Calls are billed per infinitesimal.

Let's Skype!

Every bit I noted earlier, Skype is the app everyone thinks of when they retrieve of Internet calling. Skype is a groovy app for cheap data-connection or Wi-Fi calling, simply it's non ideal if you want to make free Skype-to-Skype video calls.

For one affair, Skype video calling is bachelor only on iOS devices (and on some devices—such as the iPod Touch tertiary generation and the iPhone 3G—you volition only be able to receive video) and certain Android devices. Yet, Skype is easy to employ, near anybody seems to accept it, and information technology'south 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—excellent if you routinely have to make international calls.

[Editor's Notation: An earlier version of this commodity stated that Skype for Android did non back up video calling. Skype for Android now does support video calling on 41 whitelisted devices.]