Ways to Use Skype You Hadn’t Thought Of

Everyone knows about Skype. It’s one of the first popular online calling programs, and it still holds up today. Especially with more people working remotely and visiting each other less than they used to, Skype and similar programs have stayed popular by letting people communicate freely, wherever they happen to be.

Skype is free to use, though you can pay for “credit” to call actual landlines and phones both inside and outside your own country. If you’re comparing it against other options first, our comparison of popular messaging apps covers Skype alongside a few others. That’s not its primary use, though. There are plenty of ways to use Skype that you may not have thought of yet.

Security Camera Mode

This one only works if you’ve got a desktop or laptop that stays on at home, but it’s genuinely helpful for checking in on things while you’re out. Say you’re away for a few hours and left your anxious dog home alone. One option is asking a neighbor to check in on them. But if you’d rather keep your neighbors out of it, you can set Skype up so it automatically accepts an incoming call and turns the camera on right away.

To do this, head into your options, click “calls,” then “call settings,” then “advanced settings,” and enable the option to answer incoming calls automatically. Once that’s turned on, you’ll also get the option to allow the camera to switch on automatically when it answers.

From there, wherever you are, you can call your own Skype account and instantly get a live view of your home. And if your dog is anxious, you can talk to them through the call to help settle them down too.

Edit Messages

Sometimes you accidentally send a chat message before you’ve finished typing, or you say something you’d rather take back. Once you’ve sent a text, you can actually go back and edit it, swapping the old version out for a corrected one.

Open the chatbox and press the up arrow on your keyboard. The most recently sent message will pop back up in your writing box. Simply edit or finish the sentence and send it again, and it’ll promptly replace the original text with your edited version.

Share Your Screen

When you’re on a Skype call with someone and want to show them something, you could send a screenshot, a link, or a file. But a much more direct way to show them is by sharing your screen instead. That way, you can walk them through exactly what you mean in real time, explaining as you go if needed.

To do this, head to your call screen and look for the “+” icon between the microphone and phone icons. Click it, and below the “share contacts” option, you’ll find “share screen.” It’ll instantly start sharing your screen with whoever you’re talking to, so it’s worth double-checking that any unrelated tabs are closed first.

Learn a New Language

There’s no better way to learn a new language than talking to a native speaker directly. That said, if you’re just starting out, it can be genuinely hard to follow along with everything they’re saying. Fortunately, Skype has a helpful built-in tool for this: a translator bot. Just go to “view profile” and select “Start Translator.” It kicks off a three-way call between you, your conversation partner, and the translator bot itself.

The bot can translate text chat in up to 50 languages, and voice calls in around 13. It’s not entirely flawless, but it genuinely helps you get a feel for the language early on. And before long, you likely won’t need the translator at all anymore.

Chat with Bots

When you’re bored, or just want to pick up some new information, chatting with one of Skype’s built-in bots can be a genuinely fun way to pass the time. There’s a bot for generating memes, and another that sends you headlines from news topics you’re interested in.

Just open a new chat and use the search bar to find a bot you like the sound of. There are plenty to choose from, each built around a different function.

Host an Online Party

This one isn’t really a built-in Skype feature so much as something you can do with the tools it already gives you, especially useful when friends and family are scattered across different cities or countries. For more apps worth considering for this, see our roundup of the best apps to stay in touch with online friends. Since Skype lets you open a video call with multiple people at once, it makes a solid platform for hosting an online party, a cooking workshop, a group fitness class, or pretty much anything else that benefits from everyone seeing each other live.

Start by creating a group chat with everyone you want to include. From there, agree on a date and time that actually works for everyone across whatever time zones are involved. Next, settle on a theme. Hosting a cooking workshop? Figure out what ingredients everyone needs and what kitchen equipment they should have ready beforehand.

Make sure your camera is positioned somewhere that clearly shows both you and whatever you’re working with, and check that your microphone is picking up your voice clearly. Once that’s sorted, all that’s left is to actually enjoy it together.

Record important calls

Skype includes a built-in call recording feature, which is worth knowing about for anything you might want to reference later — a job interview, a group project meeting, or just a long-distance catch-up you want to remember properly. During a call, look for the “...” (more options) icon and select “start recording.” Everyone on the call gets notified automatically once recording begins, and the recording is saved to the chat afterward for up to 30 days, giving you plenty of time to download it if you want to keep it longer.

Blur or replace your background

If you’re calling from a messy room, or just don’t want to show exactly where you are, Skype lets you blur your background or swap it out for a custom image entirely. This option shows up right before you join a call, letting you preview it before anyone else sees your actual surroundings. It’s a small feature, but a genuinely useful one for calls where you’d rather keep the background out of the conversation.

Set up custom notification sounds

If you juggle multiple chats at once, it can be genuinely useful to know who’s messaging you before you even glance at your phone. Skype lets you assign custom notification sounds to specific contacts, so a close friend’s message sounds different from a work colleague’s. Head into a contact’s profile, look for notification settings, and pick a sound that stands out to you. It’s a small thing, but it saves you from constantly checking your phone for messages that can wait.

Use “Do Not Disturb” strategically

When you need to focus, Skype’s “Do Not Disturb” mode silences incoming call and message notifications without actually signing you out or making you appear offline in a confusing way — your status simply shows as unavailable. This is particularly useful during deep work sessions or when you’re on another call entirely and don’t want a Skype notification popping up mid-conversation. You can toggle it from your profile picture in the top corner of the app, and switch back the moment you’re ready to be reachable again.

Send money through Skype-to-Go

Fewer people know about this one, but Skype has historically supported transferring calling credit as a gift to another user, letting you cover a portion of someone’s international calling costs directly. While the specifics of payment features shift over time as Skype updates its offerings, it’s worth checking your account settings if you regularly help family abroad stay connected — it can be a genuinely thoughtful, low-effort gift for someone who relies on Skype credit to call landlines back home.

Conclusion

All in all, there are plenty of ways to get more out of Skype, whether you’re using it with friends and family or entirely on your own. If you’re interested in meeting new people in the first place, it might be worth registering on a social platform built around connecting people, and bringing the conversation over to Skype once you’ve made a match. You might just make a few new friends along the way.