This article will help you figure out quickly what you can get out of Skype and maybe change the way you use it, or even start using it. Here is a brief overview of Skype’s features, categorized in several groups, each containing numerous features:
Make calls
You can call using
- contact names (select the contact and click dial)
- the dial pad (dial a number using the softphone interface)
- received calls (select the contact who called and call back with automatic dialing)
Receive calls
- Accept or reject a call
- View caller’s profile
- Accept or reject an authorization for another to see your profile
- Block calls from unknown or unwanted callers
Manage contacts
- Search for contacts (here is where you can meet people and make new friends)
- View contacts and edit their profiles
- Start a conference call
- Add to participants to a conference call or remove them from it
- Start a video call
- Start a call within an IM (chat) session
- View call list
Voicemail
- record a personal greeting in your own voice
- send a voice message (to any person without ringing her)
- listen to voicemails that people have sent you
- delete voice mails from your inbox
Set your preferences
- Change your online status (say whether you are available or not, and how)
- Set your privacy settings to specify who can and who can’t contact you
- Configure notifications specifying how you want Skype to notify you about an event
- Configure sound and video alerts and other settings
- Configure your voicemail settings
- Create hotkeys (shortcuts for basic tasks)
Chat or use IM (Instant Messaging)
- Start a chat session, in private or with a group
- Respond to an instant message (which has been sent while you were offline)
- Start a new chat topic and invite people to it
- Bookmark a chat session (keep the session open and use it over a long period of time)
- View and clear your chat history
Share files
- Send one file or multiple files to an individual or a group
- Drag and drop files to contacts list
- Drag and drop files to a chat session (and it will be transferred to the people you are chatting with)
- Accept files from a person
- Block all file transfers
Manage your profile
- Manage your public profile
- Manage your private (hidden) profile (including your email address)
- Show your local time
- Add a picture to your profile (so others can link a face to a name)
- Create other Skype accounts
- Import contacts from other accounts
Manage your account
View account records (numbers called, financial transactions, downloads, free gifts etc.)Configure your account settings
(See the e-mail address you registered; and change your password, registered e-mail address, and displayed currency format).- Purchase Skype credit
- Purchase SkypeIn subscription
- Purchase voicemail
- Redeem vouchers
- Purchase accessories
