Top tips for using Skype on Lumia
There are many ways to use Skype on your Windows Phone: video calls, voice calls, messaging. But if you want to use it to the max, check out our best shortcuts and suggestions.
As requested by a reader in our previous post on Top tips for using WhatsApp on your Lumia, we’ve put together our top tips for using Skype.
Create favorite chats
If you chat a lot via Skype, finding people in the recent list can take time. If that’s the case, select them as favorites to reduce the endless scrolling to find your conversations.
Within a chat screen, tap the ellipsis (…) and then tap “favorite.” That person or group will be saved under the favorite page, ready the next time you want a chat.
Find country codes
Most of the time, you’ll likely dial local numbers. But sometimes, you’ll need to phone overseas and you’re left struggling to find the correct country code.
Luckily, Skype has a built-in country code list. To find it, select “new call” within the app screen. Your country should be displayed by default. Next, tap the drop-down arrow next to your country and you’ll see a vast list of country codes.
Antarctica is +672, for example. I didn’t know that. Did you?
Cortana integration
It’s easy to call anybody in your contact list using your very own digital personal assistant, Cortana.*
Activate Cortana and say “Skype Call Adam Fraser,” replacing my name with the name of the person you wish to talk with.
Please, don’t surprise me with a call.
Share your location
Let’s say you’ve left work, making your way to the train station when a colleague messages you on Skype.
Colleague: “Hey Jim, where are you? It looks like you’ve left the office! I thought we were going for a drink?”
You: “I’m here! I left early to get the first round in.”
Within the chat windows hit the plus (+) symbol and then “share location.” Your phone’s GPS will do the work for you.
Activate high-contrast theme (dark)
If looking at a white screen strains your eyes, there’s an option to switch to a dark theme.
On Skype’s main screen, select the ellipsis (…) and “settings.” Located at the bottom of the list is a high-contrast toggle switch–tap it.
One re-start later and you’ll be looking at a black and white display.
Say it with pictures
If you can’t get your message across with words alone, try pictures.
Within a Skype chat, tap the plus (+) symbol to share a photo from your Photo hub, or draw your own.
The latter option provides some basic drawing tools, such as a swatch of color and three different sizes to draw with.
Sign out of Skype remotely
If you’ve forgotten to log out of Skype on your computer at school, work, home, or anywhere else, you can shut them all down instantly and remotely from your Lumia.
Within any chat box, typing the command /remotelogout will sign you out of the other devices, but not the device you issued the command from.
*Available in select markets.