How to delete your Skype account
When you no longer use a service or application, the best thing to do is delete the associated account, and this also applies to Skype , the incredibly convenient service that lets you make and receive calls—free or paid, depending on your options—from your computer, smartphone, or other devices. You may find yourself no longer using Skype, or you may want to delete your account and open a new one. Here’s how to do it, step by step.
Let’s start by clarifying something fundamental: Skype doesn’t allow you to physically delete your account, unless you contact support directly, but it does allow you to hide it , making it invisible in user searches; in other words, if someone searches for you with a certain username, they won’t find you.
To do this, you must first connect to the Skype website, log in by entering your details, and click on “Edit Profile” at the bottom right. This will allow you to edit all your information: date of birth, contact information, city, and everything except your first name, last name, and email address.
You can also remove your profile picture or replace it with a different, personal image. Finally, you can set your profile to “private,” making it visible only to your contacts.
If you truly want to delete your Skype account, you’ll need to contact Skype support and follow the instructions on the support page. Your profile will be permanently deactivated within two weeks.
This way, your account will be empty and, if you don’t log in for at least 21 days , it will be completely hidden and will no longer be visible to other contacts; however, the only people who will see your contact will be the friends you added to your contacts list before the deletion.
You can also delete your Skype profile by deleting the data from your computer : this way, Skype will no longer appear in your program settings. If you use a Mac, the operation is obviously simpler because you just need to drag the Skype icon to the Trash, without any uninstallation procedure, while if you use Windows, you will have to follow the procedure starting from the “Run” menu.
How to proceed if you use Microsoft?
If you normally connect to Skype using your Microsoft account , things get a little more complicated because by deleting Skype, you would also delete your Microsoft account, thus losing the ability to use all the online services offered by Microsoft, such as Xbox Live and Office Online.
If you’re already aware of the issue of having your Skype address linked to your Microsoft account and want to proceed anyway, all you need to do is log in to your Microsoft account and click “Manage advanced security,” then ” Close account” and “Next .” Before proceeding, make sure you don’t have any current subscriptions, such as Office or Xbox Live, linked to your address.
Another thing to carefully check before closing your account is that you have no remaining Skype credit ; the service offers free video calls, but some calling services are paid. To avoid losing the funds deposited into your account, it’s advisable to first use up your remaining credit and then proceed with any cancellations. Otherwise, the funds will not be refundable under any circumstances and will be lost.
If you have any questions, you can go directly to the Skype website and consult the frequently asked questions section. If you have specific questions you need to ask a technician, you can also request assistance . Skype doesn’t offer direct telephone support, but it does offer good support via chat or email, depending on your needs.
