Invite Someone on Skype

To invite someone to be your Skype contact, you’ll need to know either their username, their real name, or their email address. If you’re using an iPhone or Android device, you’ll have the option to have Skype search your personal contacts. If you’re ready to use Skype for phone calls, video and/or live text chat, learn how invite your friends, family and colleagues to your contacts list.

Steps

Using an iPhone

  1. Sign into the Skype app.[1] If you’re not already signed into the app, enter your username and password when prompted.
  2. Tap the Contacts icon. This icon appears the bottom of the screen.
  3. Tap the “New Contact” icon. This icon is at the top right of the Contacts screen, signified by a person with a plus (+) sign.
  4. Type a name, phone number or email address into the search bar. As you type, Skype will search through your current iPhone contacts. It will also display a link that says “Tap to find new contacts.”
  5. Select “Tap to find new contacts.” This will search Skype’s user base for the information you entered. If you can’t find the right person by name, search by email, if not by email, phone, and so on.
  6. Choose the user you want to add from the list. Tap the user’s icon or name to launch his or her contact request screen.
  7. Tap “edit” to change the contact request text, if you desire. The standard text is: Hi, I’d like to add you on Skype, but it can be edited to include your own personal touch. You can delete the entire message or simply add a few words to the original.
  8. Tap “Send Contact Request.” The recipient of the request will see a message in their Skype dashboard indicating that you’ve asked them to become a contact. Once that user accepts your request, you’ll be able to interact with them. Until then, your new contact will have a question mark (?) next to their name.
  9. Navigate to My Info > Settings to enable Automatically Add Friends. This step is optional, but can be useful if you want Skype to automatically search your iPhone contacts for Skype users.

Using Android

  1. Launch the Skype app.[2] Sign in with your username and password when prompted.
  2. Tap the Contacts icon. The icon looks like an address book and appears at the top of the screen. Once you tap this icon, you’ll be brought to your list of Skype contacts.
  3. Tap the “Add Contacts” icon at the bottom right of the contacts list. This will bring you to a search box.
  4. Enter a name, phone number or email address into the box, then tap the magnifying glass. Now Skype will search for a user who matches this information. If nobody is found by phone number, try email address. Cycle through these search strings until your contact is found.
  5. Select your contact from the search results. On the resulting screen, you’ll have the ability to type a unique message to this user. They’ll see this message on their screen when they receive your contact request from Skype.
  6. Tap “Add to Contacts.” The user has been added to your contacts and your message has been sent. The user will appear as “offline” until they accept your contact request. You won’t be able to call or chat with this user until they’ve accepted your request.
  7. Tap the menu icon, then browse to Settings > Automatically Add Friends.[3] Only perform this step if you want Skype to add your Android contacts (who have Skype accounts) to your Skype contacts list. Once you’ve browsed to this menu, fill in the radio button next to “Automatically Add Friends,” then tap OK.
    • Like manually adding contacts, contacts which are added automatically will still need to approve the request.
    • Once these new contacts approve your request, you’ll be communicate with them via Skype.

Using Windows

  1. Sign into Skype.[4] Log into Skype with your username and password. If the login information is saved in the program, you may not be prompted to enter it now.
  2. Type your desired contact’s username, email address or full name into the search box. It’s best to search by username, because Skype users don’t always associate their full names with their Skype accounts. An email address is your next bet.
  3. Click the “Search Skype” button to start the search. If you don’t see your contact in the search results, try searching by different criteria.
  4. Right-click a user and select “View Profile.” If you’re unable to figure out which of the users returned in the search is the one you’re trying to add, look through their profile for identifying information. Many users list their locations or other identifying information in their profile.
  5. Click “Add to Contacts.” This will begin the process of sending an invite to your new potential contact. The contact will need to accept this invitation before you can chat with or call them.
  6. Type a message to send your contact, then click “Send.” Something like “Hello, I’d like to add you as a contact” will work just fine.
  7. Close the Search box by clicking the X. This should bring you back to the Contacts screen, where you’ll find your new contact listed. Until they’ve accepted your request, a question mark (?) will appear next to their name. You won’t be able to chat with or call this user until your request has been approved.

Using a Mac

  1. Launch and sign into Skype. You’ll need to be signed in to add a new contact.
  2. Click “Contacts,” then “Add Contact.”[5] This action will bring up a search box, where you’ll have the ability to search through Skype’s user base for your desired contact.
  3. Type the Skype name or email address of the person you want to add. It’s especially helpful if you know your friend’s Skype username for the search process, but you may be able to find them by full name or email address if they’ve connected this information to their Skype profile.
    • Depending on the information you’re searching for, you may see a long list of search results. Use the Age, Gender, Language and Country dropdowns to narrow your results.
  4. Click the green “Add Contact” icon next to the user’s name. A new box will appear, asking you to type a personalized note to the contact or use the default option.
  5. Type your message, then click “Send.” It’s a good idea to personalize this message with your name.
  6. Find your new contact on your Contacts list. You’ll see the new contact in your contacts list with a question mark (?) next to their name. This question mark will remain until the user accepts your contact request. Once your request has been accepted, you’ll be able to interact with your new contact.

Tips

  • Keep the invitation short and friendly.
  • If you don't have Skype, you can download it from the Skype website at Skype.com.

Warnings

  • Unless you know for sure that you’re talking with the right person, don’t share personal information over Skype chat.
  • Letting children use Skype while unattended could expose them to harassment or obscene content.

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Sources and Citations