Skype: Getting started
Make sure the desktop or laptop is updated with the most recent version of its operating system, has a working high-speed (dial-up won’t work) Internet connection and a webcam. Some computers, such as Apple models, will have a camera built in, but others may require a separate purchase (basic models can be had for about $20).
Visit Skype.com and download the program.
Find the Skype application on the computer’s desktop or in its start menu and sign in. Create a Skype account (or log in to an existing account), choosing a username and password and filling out basic profile information and creating a customized profile picture if desired. The Skype account can also be linked to a Facebook account for ease of finding friends ready to chat.
Build a contacts list by hitting the plus sign or the “add new contact” button and following its search instructions to find friends and family who use the service. Request to add a friend as a contact; wait for acceptance.
Make sure the computer’s speakers and microphone are on.
In the contacts list, find or add “Skype Test Call,” which might also be called “Echo / Sound Test Service,” and lets users test audio by recording and playing back their voices. If the recordings are audible, Skype is working.
Check your hair, makeup and room lighting, lest you scare any video-chat partners (optional).
If a contact is online and available, the username will appear with a green checkmark. Yellow means the user is away; gray means a user is offline. Click an available contact’s name to start a video or voice chat. To send a typed chat message, enter text in the bottom box and hit enter.
Click the video call button. Smile, wave and start talking.