From a time to this part, the expressions “Let’s do a Skype” or For when a Skype? ” they have become very common among the young and not so young. Skype is a worldwide reference software that allows you to make phone calls using your computer, your tablet or your mobile and your Internet connection. You can use it for free, you just need to open a Skype account and install the program.
With more than 300 million users, the platform is now 10 years old. During all this time it has become an essential application to communicate for free from one end of the planet to the other. And it is that Skype allows you to save on the expense of the phone, since it is possible to make calls between users for free, regardless of the country in which they are. In addition, and on the other hand, it is also possible to make calls from Skype to a conventional phone, with various rates depending on the country of destination.
Users use the application both to communicate on special occasions and to share daily moments with people who are important to them. Let’s see a little how it works.
To open an account
It is very simple, we just have to go to the Skype website and click on the “Join” button , on the top right. A page will immediately open requesting information to create the account. Once written, we will have to click the “Accept and Continue” button and we will have to rewrite the words that appear in the box to complete the registration (this action is only security to guarantee that a human being is doing the process) .
Your account will already be registered. Remember or sign up for your username and password; will be the keys to enter the program. At this time, the page will ask you to start downloading the Skype installer , to download the application and to start making calls and contact friends and family. When complete, Skype will open and display the login screen.
Add contacts
Before you can start using Skype to communicate with your friends and family, you must first add them to your contact list. To carry it out, you will have to click the add contact button:
You can search for the friend you want to add as a contact by their full name, username or email. Just enter it in the search box. When you have it, you will have to click Add to contacts . When you’re done, just click Submit . The new contact will automatically be added to your contact list, but its status icon will appear with a question mark until he or she accepts your request. Once you have accepted it, you will be able to see when it is online and make free calls and video calls with it.
How to call with Skype
With Skype you can call anyone, anywhere in the world for free. To call someone from your contact list, you must first click on the Contacts tab , and thus find the person you want to call. Once you have the information of your contact in front, you will be able to find 3 possibilities:
– If the contact has one of these status icons 
next to their name, it means they have Skype; therefore, you can call him for free. – If you see one of these icons 
next to the name of your contact, it means that the person is using a landline or mobile phone; therefore, you will need a little Skype Credit or a plan to call her.
– If you see the contact request icon 
next to the name of your contact, it means that they have not yet accepted your request.
When you see that your contact is available, you should click Call . Then you will hear a ringtone, signal that the action is taking place correctly. Once the person in question has picked up, you can start talking. In the event that you did not hear the other person or they could not hear you, click on the call quality icon in the call bar (you may need to move the mouse to bring up the calls). To end the conversation, all you need to do is select the red phone for End call .
How to make video calls
Apart from the calls, Skype allows us to also make video calls, that is, you can see yourself with the interlocutor with the device’s webcam. To carry out this action, first of all you must find the person you want to call and make sure they are connected.
Once this is done, instead of selecting Call, as in the previous case, you should click on Video call . The webcam will automatically be activated and, if all goes well, the image of your family member or friend will appear on the screen. You can start talking. If, as in calls, if you did not see the other person or they could not see you, click on the call quality icon and check the settings.
How to make a group call
With Skype you can share a group call with up to 25 people, anywhere in the world. To make a call to several people at the same time you must click on Create a group . On the Contacts tab , click the contact you want to add to the group call and drag it to the empty Group area , and so on with each and every contact you want to add to the group call. Once you have all the people in the group, you only have to click on Call group. Then you will hear a ringtone until the first person answers. At the end of the conversation, if you want to save this group to be able to call it again you will have to go to the top right and select the buttonSave group to contacts .
Group video calls, free calls … 10 years later, the communication platform most used for calls between countries and even different continents remains the preferred platform for people to communicate.
