Skype Voice Calling: How to Access Audio Calls

You can no longer make voice calls in the Skype app itself. Microsoft retired Skype in May 2025 and moved personal users to the free version of Microsoft Teams, where audio calls with existing Skype contacts continue. This guide explains how to reach audio calls now, set up your microphone and speakers, and fix the most common sound problems.

Before you start

Calls do not run locally on your device. Audio is sent through Microsoft's online service, so you and the person you call both need a working internet connection and a signed-in account.

• The Microsoft account you used to sign in to Skype.
• Microsoft Teams, free version, as a desktop app, a mobile app or in a supported web browser.
• A microphone and speakers, or a headset that combines both.
• Permission to use the microphone in your operating system or browser.

Microsoft said that signing in to Teams with a Skype account would carry over contacts and chat history. After you sign in, confirm that the contacts you need are actually there. Microsoft also offered a limited period for exporting Skype data. For details about what is stored, how long it is kept and whether any export option still exists, check Microsoft's current privacy statement and account settings rather than assuming.

Step-by-step instructions

• Install Microsoft Teams on your computer or phone, or open it in a supported browser. Use a personal account, not a work or school account.
• Sign in with the same Microsoft account you used for Skype.
• When the app or browser asks for microphone access, allow it. If you dismissed the prompt earlier, turn access on in your operating system's privacy settings (Windows) or in Privacy & Security (macOS). In a browser, change the permission in the site settings.
• Open the app's settings and find the devices section. Choose your microphone as the input device and your speakers or headset as the output device.
• Open a chat with the person you want to talk to and choose the audio call option, not the video call option.
• During the call, use the mute control to mute and unmute yourself. Use the in-call device options to switch to a different microphone or speaker without hanging up.

Behavior varies by platform. In a browser, the browser controls microphone permission and which devices are available. On a phone, the built-in microphone is used unless a wired or Bluetooth headset is connected. If you also use Teams through work or school, your organization's settings apply to that account, not to your personal one. Device choices and permissions are all reversible, so you can switch back at any time.

Check the output

Watch the input level meter in the app's device settings, or in your operating system's sound settings, while you speak at a normal volume. The meter should move with your voice and stay below the maximum. If it does not move, the wrong input device is selected or the microphone is blocked. If your version of the app offers a test call, use it. If not, make a short call to someone you trust and ask whether they hear echo, delay, low volume or background noise.

Call quality depends on your network connection, your microphone and your room as much as on the app. Noise suppression and other audio processing options vary by app version and platform. Check what your settings actually offer before relying on them.

Common problems and next steps

• The Skype app will not sign in or says it has been retired: this is expected. Use Microsoft Teams with the same account.
• The other person cannot hear you: check that the correct input device is selected and that you are not muted in the app, on the headset or in the operating system. Also check that microphone permission is granted.
• You cannot hear the other person: select the correct output device and check the system volume. Some Bluetooth headsets offer separate audio modes, so choose the one intended for calls.
• The other person hears an echo: use headphones instead of speakers, or turn down your speaker volume.
• There is too much background noise: move the microphone closer to your mouth, call from a quieter place and turn on noise suppression if your app version offers it.
• Audio sounds robotic or keeps cutting out: close other apps that use a lot of bandwidth and move closer to your router, or use a wired connection.
• A USB microphone or headset sounds distorted: in your system's sound settings, set the input and output devices to the same sample rate, such as 48 kHz. Then restart the app.

Calls to landlines and mobile numbers used paid Skype Credit or subscriptions, which Microsoft stopped selling to new customers. If you had a balance or an active plan, check your Microsoft account to see what is still available. Otherwise, you will need a different service to call phone numbers. If a sound problem appears on only one device, test the microphone in another app. If it fails there too, the cause is the hardware or system settings, not the calling app.