Best Skype tricks that you should know

Skype is most likely the first name that comes to your mind when talking about VoIP services. This popular communication solution has allowed people to stay in touch with family and friends across the world. Making and receiving audio or video calls is easy and it is even possible to hold group calls. Skype helped us to overcome distance and apart from supporting free calls over internet, it offers great discounts in calls to landlines and mobile phones. In order to help you to take advantage of everything that this service offers, we prepared a list of tips and tricks that will enhance your experience with Skype.
Edit sent messages
If you made a mistake or forgot to include something in a message sent, you can easily edit it. When you a message is sent, press the “Up Arrow” key and the message sent will be shown in the text box. Make the necessary changes and send the message again. The message previously sent will be replaced with the new one.
Skype call forwarding
To avoid missing calls, it is possible to set up Skype call forwarding. The call can be forwarded to another Skype contact or to a landline or mobile number. Keep in mind that while forwarding calls to another Skype contact is free, if you want calls to be forwarded to a landline or mobile number, you will need Skype credits.
You will be charged for the call instead of the caller and the same standard rate for calls to landlines and mobile numbers is applied. You can set up Skype call forwarding by clicking “Tools” in the top menu and from the menu click on Options. In the next window, click on Calls, then select Call forwarding and enter the details desired.
Use multiple chat windows
You can open multiple chat windows to chat with different people simultaneously. Click View from the top menu and then click Split Window View to create two windows. If you double click on each contact, you will be able to open a chat window to talk to that person.
Clear Skype chat history
You can delete all your chat history if needed. To do this, access the advanced options by clicking on “Tools” and then “Options”. Then you will need to access the advanced options of “IM Settings” by clicking on “IM & SMS” and selecting “Show Advanced options” from the right panel. Then you can click the “Clear History” button to get rid of all your chat history.
Remove all Skype ads
If you had enough with Skype ads, there is a way of getting rid of them to make sure that they don’t affect your communications. You can go to Control Panel and click on Network and Internet. Click Internet Options on the next page and a new dialog will open up. Go to the Security tab and click Restricted sites. There you will be able to access the Site button. Click this button and on the next page, type the following: https://apps.skype.com/ and click on add. Next, you need to restart your computer and open Skype. You will be able to enjoy an ad-free experience.
Backup Skype chat history
After certain time, your chat history is deleted. However, you can keep your chats by backing them up. You just need to go to open “Run” and enter the following command: %appdata%\skype and then click OK. This will open a window, where you can open the folder named after your Skype ID. In this folder, you will see a file named “main.db”, which contains all your Skype chat history. Now you can copy and save the file on your PC or on an external drive.
Use Skype WiFi
If you don’t have internet access, but have Skype credit, you can get a hotspot using Skype WiFi app. This app is available for Android and iOS and you can Your credit will pay for internet access on the go. Skype gives you access to millions of WiFi hotspots and you can easily find one near you.
Hide typing indicator (Pencil Mark)
It is also possible to prevent others from seeing when you are typing. You just need to disable the typing indicator, which is appears as a moving pencil. In the top menu, click on Tools and from there, click Options. Next, click on “IM & SMS” and under it, select IM Settings. Click “Show advanced options” in the right panel and unmark the “Show when I am typing” to turn this option off.
Send a video message
You can also record a short video and sent it as a message. Simply click the “Paper clip” icon that appears on the left of the chat box and from there, click “Send Video message”. Then you can record the video message and send it.
Use Skype as remote control security camera
By configuring your Skype account to always answer the incoming call, you can use it as security camera. To do this, you will need to have two accounts, one of them will make the call and the other one will receive it. Keep in mind that your personal account should not be used to receive the call, otherwise the people who call you may end up getting access to the security camera that you have set up.
Open Skype on your home computer and adjust the web cam as needed. Once this is done, set up automatic call answering on the receiving account. Click Tools and then select Options in the menu. Now click Calls and then select Call settings. In the right-side panel, click “Show advanced options” and mark “Answer incoming calls automatically” to activate automatic call answering. Whenever you call from the other account, you will get access to the web cam.
Use Skype for customer support
Using Skype button to provide customer service is a convenient solution for small businesses that want to avoid hefty telephone charges. Simply get the Skype button and add it to your website. This will allow your customers to contact you via Skype when you are online.
Record Skype calls
While Skype doesn’t feature call recording functionality, there is a wide variety of apps that support this option and they can be integrated with Skype. One of them is Free Video Call for Skype, an easy to use, practical and lightweight solution.
Get a Skype caller ID
In order to be able to call mobile numbers or landline numbers, you need to set up a Skype caller ID. Click Skype in the top menu and the select My “Account”. The account will open in the default browser as web page and you will see the Caller ID option under “Manage Features”. Click on it and set up your called ID.
Assign custom names to your contacts
You can give your contacts custom names to differentiate those who have the same name or to personalize your contact list. To rename contacts, right-click the contact and click “Rename” from the menu, then you can enter the name you prefer.
Transfer Skype contacts
You can transfer all contacts from one account to another. All you need to do is to click “Contacts” in the top menu and then hover your mouse over Advanced in the drop down menu. Select “Backup Contacts to File..” from the side menu to back up the contacts. The same steps can be followed for restoring in the other account, the only difference is that from the side menu, you will need to select “Restore Contacts from File”.
Use screen sharing
To share your current desktop screen with the other person, you can click the “+” icon during the call and from the menu, select “Share Screen”. This will allow you to share your screen, which can be practical when you need to show them the steps to follow for a specific process.
Skype hotkeys
In order to access Skype features faster, you can set up hotkeys. They can be enabled and set up by clicking “Tools” in the top menu and then clicking Options. In the next window, click Advanced and under it, select Hotkeys. You will see a list of all the hotkeys available in the right panel and they can be customized.
Use Skype chat commands
In order to use Skype more effectively, you can try special chat commands. It is possible to remove someone from a group chat by typing: : /kick (name of the person). You can also start a group call from a chat by typing: /golive.
If you wish to sign out from all other devices except from the one you are currently using, you can use this command: /remotelogout. If you type /help into the chat, you will see the commands that are available. A full list of commands is available from Skype’s website.
Share files
Skype gives you the possibility of sharing files including videos, photos, documents and more. There are no restrictions on the file size unlike some of its alternatives and you can transfer them easily. To share a file, drag and drop it in the chat box or use the button with the Paper clip icon and select the relevant file.
Get access to hidden emoticons and smileys
There is an array of emoticons and smileys that are not available in the standard list. However, you can get access to them by writing their command in the chat box to be able to use them. The full list of commands for standard and hidden emoticons and smileys can be found on the official Skype website.