How to Delete Skype Account (on Desktop or Mobile) Permanently

Wondering on ways to how to delete your Skype account permanently? Follow the steps provided in this guide to delete your Skype account permanently.

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Skype is, no doubt, one of the oldest yet the most popular VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) applications. Over the years, it has garnered millions of users from every continent on the map. It has set the roadmap to seamless voice and video conversations that allow people, either standing across the street or thousands of miles apart, to engage in lifelike conversations, all with a click.

Regardless of the popularity or ease of use of the application, there might come a time when you either don’t need a VoIP service anymore or want to switch to a more feature-rich application.

No matter the reason, you can’t just delete skype account by clicking a magic button titled, “delete my account.” In fact, if you don’t know about the Skype account deletion process before erasing it for good, you might end up losing access to your Outlook or Xbox Live account.

Don’t scratch your head… Just read on and find out how you can delete Skype account without losing access to other accounts, and what security measures you can take if you are deleting it because of privacy concerns.

How to Unlink Microsoft Account before Deleting Skype

As said earlier, Skype doesn’t have a quick delete button and, don’t worry, it is not unusual. These days, almost every service provider is replacing the “delete” or “remove” buttons with a brief form or a list of checkboxes so users don’t accidentally erase their accounts. Moreover, services now take a few weeks or more to process the users’ account deletion request in the hope that within the processing period the user might have a change of mind.

Regardless, Skype has the same procedure, where a user need to tick some boxes agreeing that they are removing their account on their own consent. The VoIP provider then asks for a 30 or 60 days period to process the request and, finally, delete the account.

However, before you go erasing your account and profile, it is imperative that you unlink the email id that you have been using for Skype. If you forget or ignore to that, you would regret losing access to all the other services that are linked to the same, Skype email id.

So, before presenting you the deletion guide, let’s first take a look at how you can unlink the account.

  • Type Skype.com on the address bar of your browser and sign in
  • Now, scroll down on the page and go to Account Settings, which you can find under Settings and Preferences
  • Now check your Microsoft account id and beside it you can find the Unlink/Not Linked option
  • If it says Unlink, click it to detach the id
  • If a confirmation alert pops up, click Continue to confirm

Note: if the Skype name says either live: “your email address” or outlook: “your email address,” unlinking would result in loss of Skype contacts that you might have on other Microsoft properties.

How to Delete Skype Account on Desktop (Windows or Mac)

Follow the steps below to delete your Skype account from desktop:

  • Launch the Skype application on your desktop

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  • Click your Skype Name, at top left corner

  • When a pop up appears, scroll down and click Settings

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  • On the right-side panel, scroll down and click Close your account

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  • Verify your id and password to proceed

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  • On the Ready to Close window, read through to understand what you would lose when the account is deleted. Click, Next

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  • Check relevant boxes

  • Select reason for account deletion

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  • Click Mark account for closure to proceed

Once a request for deletion is submitted, Skype would take some time to process the request and then delete the account, along with all the contacts and other Skype data.

Note: Make sure that you take care of your Skype credits and other balances before removing the account.

How to Delete Skype Account on Mobile (Android or iOS)

The account deletion process on mobile devices is pretty much the same. Let’s take a look:

  • Launch Skype on your mobile
  • Tap your Skype Name
  • Go to Settings by tapping the Gear icon on the top right corner
  • Tap Account & Profile and then Close your account
  • Verify your id and password to proceed
  • Go through the list and click Next
  • Mark the checkboxes and list the Reason
  • Now, tap Mark account for closure

Turn to a More Dedicated Option for Privacy

If you are deleting your Skype ID or account because of privacy concerns, you need not stop there. Privacy threats won’t vanish just because you have erased a profile. There are various other ways that cybercriminals can use to threaten your online privacy and security.

Want to reclaim your online privacy? You might want to check below how to delete your account guides of social media platforms: