Account creation happens on the Skype website, and it requires first and last names, email address, country, language, and your desired Skype name and password. If you've ever signed up with a Hotmail or account, then you already have one of these.

Next, you'll need to sign into or create a Skype or Microsoft account. The next option is to choose whether you want to install Click-to-Call in your Web browsers this lets you make a call from any webpage displaying a phone number. After downloading and running the small setup file, select your language from the 39 available (including many with non-Latin characters). To get started with Skype, simply head to and click the Download button in the middle of the page. Read our editorial mission (Opens in a new window) & see how we test (Opens in a new window). Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. Skype is also a no-brainer Editors' Choice in our video conferencing category. For this review, we tested the released desktop version on Windows 10, though we also ran the Preview version when testing the new bots. Across the board, Skype works with good voice and video quality, in sleek, modern interfaces. In fact, clients are even available for Android Wear, Apple Watch, Blackberry, Linux, and Xbox.

You can take advantage of Skype whether you're an Android, Apple, or Windows user. It earns a PCMag Editors' Choice award for personal Voice-over-IP (VoIP) along with RingCentral (for Business) ($19.99 Per User Per Month at RingCentral) (Opens in a new window), our Editors' Choice for business. While Microsoft's Windows 10 ($139.00 at Microsoft Store) (Opens in a new window) Skype strategy isn't quite finalized yet, with both a preview and a released version available at the same time, the service still offers more than any competitor. Artificial intelligence (AI), in the form of chat bots, now joins the long list of Skype capabilities. An actual public phone number, Wi-Fi hotspots, live translation, and applications for every major platform? Skype has you covered there, too. Skype is the department store of communication software. SMS is outbound only users can send, but not receive.How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad.

How to Block Robotexts and Spam Messages.

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