How to Delete Skype and Skype Account

Regardless of the ease of use or various features of Skype, there might come a time when you don’t want to use it anymore or simply you want to switch to another application.

Are you not sure how to do so?

Then this article will teach you how to delete your Skype account.

Table of Contents

How to Permanently Delete Skype Account

Deleting the Skype account is not as easy as deleting Skype from your device.

Unlike other applications, Microsoft makes it very difficult to fully remove a Skype account because a Skype account is directly linked to a Microsoft account.

You will need to uninstall Skype but note that you won’t be able to delete your Skype account.

Note: If you close your Skype account, then you will lose access to your Microsoft account and its services like Outlook.com, OneDrive, etc.

Deleting Skype account permanently is a multi-step process and you need to remove all the personal information from the Skype account so that no one can use your data to find you.

Step 1: Remove Profile Picture

Removing the profile photo is important as it can reveal your identity and other users might be able to identify you.

To remove the profile picture on Skype, follow the below steps:

1. Visit Skype in a web browser and log in to your account.

2. Click on the three dots and select Settings> Profile picture.

3. Hover over the Profile picture and click on the edit icon.

4. Choose Remove photo.

5. Click on Remove in the pop-up.

Also Read: 20 Best Skype Alternatives for Business

Step 2: Change Your Status and Turn Off Discoverability

Before deleting your Skype account permanently, you should set your Skype status to Offline or Invisible so that no one thinks that you’re online or available.

1. Click on the profile picture in the top left corner.

2. Click on your current status (here, it’s Active) and select Invisible.

3. Go to the Skype settings page and choose Contacts.

4. Turn off the toggle for Appear in search results.

Step 3: Sign Out Skype from All Devices

Before deleting your account on any app, you should sign out from all the devices that you use to sign in to Skype.

This step is necessary since you may accidentally log in to your Skype account after deletion which will again re-activate your account (only applicable for the first 30 days after which your account is deleted permanently).

Note: You cannot log out from all the devices remotely. So, sign out of each device individually.

1. Click on the profile picture in the top left corner.

2. Select Sign Out.

3. Click on Sign out to confirm and you will be signed out from the Skype account.

Note: The /remotelogout command, which used to allow signing out of other devices remotely, is no longer functional.

Also Read: How Do I Logout of All Devices on Amazon

Step 4: Remove Other Profile Details in Skype

Removing other profile details from Skype is easier in the web interface than the app itself.

1. Click on the three dots and select Settings.

2. Select Your profile and click on Edit profile.

3. Remove all the information from the Personal Information and Contact details sections.

Note: You cannot remove your Skype name.

5. Once you have removed all the information, click on Save.

Step 5: Cancel Active Subscriptions

Before deleting the account, cancel all your active subscriptions because you won’t get any credits if your account is deleted.

1. Go to the Skype settings page and choose Your account.

2. Go to the Services & subscriptions tab.

3. Click on Manage next to your subscription.

4. Click on Cancel subscription to continue.

5. Again, click on Cancel subscription.

6. Finally, click Thanks but no thanks, I still want to cancel to confirm subscription cancellation.

Also Read: How to Cancel or Stop Xbox Live Subscription: Step-by-step Guide (2023)

Step 6: Delete Skype Account

Once you have removed all your personal information and canceled all your subscriptions, you can proceed to delete your Skype account.

If your Skype primary email address is Live or Outlook, then unlinking the account will cause you to lose all your Skype contacts.

If you use a Microsoft account to sign in to Skype, then you need to delete and close your Microsoft account.

Your Microsoft account will be closed in 60 days.

If you want to again access it or change your mind about deleting your account, you can get your account back.

Remember, after deleting your Skype account, your name on Skype will appear for 30 days but no one will be able to contact you.

After 30 days, your name will completely disappear from Skype and no one will be able to find you on Skype.

How to Uninstall Skype

Skype is supported by almost all platforms like Windows, Android, Mac, iOS, etc., so there are different methods to uninstall Skype from these different platforms.

If you follow the below steps, then you will be able to easily uninstall Skype from these different platforms.

Option 1: On Smartphone

You can easily uninstall the Skype app from Android devices.

For iOS devices, follow the below steps:

1. Go to iPhone Settings and select General > iPhone Storage.

2. Choose Skype from the list.

3. Tap on Delete App.

Also Read: How to Disable Skypehost.exe on Windows 10

Option 2: On Mac

To permanently delete Skype from the Mac, you need to make sure that the app is closed and then follow the below steps:

1. Open Finder on Mac. Click on the Applications folder.

2. Here, drag and drop the Skype icon into the trash.

3. Again, in the Finder window, search for Skype in the search bar, select all the search results and drag them into the trash as well.