Some information is always public, such as your Skype name, age, language and location (you can just limit this to your country). You have the option of choosing whether your information will be visible to the public (searchable by anybody using Skype), private, or visible only to your friends. Then, you fill out a profile with basic information about yourself. Your Skype name essentially serves as your phone number. You can instant message, file share, share your screen and make video calls with other Skype users for free.Īfter downloading Skype and opening the program, you'll be prompted to create a Skype name and password. Here, you can select whether you want the free version or Skype Premium. Your first step is going to the Skype Web site and clicking on 'get Skype.' Choose your operating system. The screen may look a little different depending on which device you're using, but the setup is the same. Since most people still Skype using a computer, we'll focus on how to create an account using one of those. It's part of why Skype is so inexpensive.

This means that the program distributes the running workload across Skype users' computers via background processing, instead of running off a traditional server. Skype is different from other VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) providers because it is a peer-to-peer service. In addition to video and voice calls, you can also hold teleconferences, instant message, share files of all kinds, text and make low-cost international calls using a special cell phone program called Skype to Go. There is a fee if you're calling a regular landline or cell phone, and there's also a cost associated with some of the more advanced services. If the person you want to talk to also has Skype, it's free to use the service (minus the cost of your Internet connection, of course). You don't need a lot of equipment and the software is user-friendly, enabling you to make video calls within minutes of downloading it.

Although it's not the only service available, Skype is one of the most popular video call services. Improvements in video technology, as well as the wide availability of high-speed internet, have made video chat and video calls accessible and affordable for just about anybody.

Video telephony - or video calls - has been around since the 1960s, but it was too cumbersome and expensive for the general public to use until very recently.

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