How To Make A Skype Account Private

Updated on Jul 1, 2022. Skype is one of the oldest and most trusted VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) applications on the web. Created by Swedish-based tech firm Skype Technologies in 2003, the application blew up and had hundreds of millions of users by 2010. This was when it grabbed the attention of Microsoft, which went on to purchase Skype that year for a whopping $8.5 billion.

Although Skype has several competitors, such as Google Hangouts, Zoom, Facetime, and WhatsApp, Skype is still a strong and viable platform that has a strong international following. Since it’s owned by Microsoft, the VoIP app comes pre-installed on most Windows PC’s, which means that most computer users have access to it.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, cybercrime rates went ballistic as hackers and scammers from around the world turned to the internet to supplement lost income and make a quick buck. That being said, there’ve been far more instances of accounts getting hacked for data or spammers sending messages to random Skype accounts that they find.

If you’re wondering how to make a Skype account private, then you’ve come to the right place! Below, we’ll discuss some of the most common security concerns with Skype and how to adjust your Skype privacy settings so your account is safer and more private. We’ll also give you some additional tips on how to remain anonymous on Skype by using a top-rated VPN to mask your IP address and physical location.

Let’s dive in!

Just How Private Is Skype?

For the most part, Skype is pretty good when it comes to privacy. All Skype calls, messages, and files sent over Skype are encrypted with fairly strong end-to-end encryption. It may not be quite as powerful as the AES-256 encryption used by VPNs like NordVPN, but it’s still strong enough to fend off most penetration attempts by third parties.

While Skype has done a fairly good job at protecting its users from third-party hacks and peepers, there has been a recent policy update that has been a bit alarming to some Skype users. Earlier this year, in May, Skype announced that it would be banning and reprimanding any users who were displaying nudity in their calls or public posts.

This effort was made as an attempt to prevent users from using the platform as an alternative to Onlyfans, and the possible underage concerns that come with that. So, Skype’s intentions were good… However, the alarming fact is that it means that users’ Skype calls and chats are being actively monitored for any illegal content. This, in turn, means that your Skype calls aren’t quite as private as they used to be.

If you’re looking for a chat application that’s truly private, then we usually recommend that our readers use Telegram or Signal. Both are free-to-use, heavily encrypted, and completely private. Not even the administrators of these two apps are allowed to view the content of encrypted private chats.

How To Make Your Skype Account Private: Step-by-Step

While you may not be able to prevent Skype admins from viewing the contents of your messages and videos, you can make it harder for other Skype users to find your account and send you spammy messages. This has been a particularly annoying problem for many Skype users in the past year.

Scammers often use software to “scrape” email addresses associated with Skype accounts and then start sending them phishing messages or other scammy chat messages in an attempt to steal money, advertise products, or re-direct Skype users to potentially dangerous sites.

The best way to prevent this from happening to you is to make your Skype account private by adjusting the privacy settings on your account. Here’s how to go about it.

1. Open Your Skype Application: First, you’ll want to open your Skype application on your desktop as normal. You can also adjust your privacy settings from your mobile Skype app as well. The instructions below should work just as well for the mobile app as they will for the Skype desktop app.

2. Navigate To Your Settings: First, navigate to your settings. If you look in the upper left-hand corner of your user interface, you’ll see three small dots by your username. Click this and select ‘Settings.’ Your can also press in the UI to open the settings menu.

3. Select The ‘Privacy’ Tab and Disable Location Sharing: First, you’ll want to disable your location sharing with Bing. Within the settings menu, select the tab on the left-hand side of the screen that says ‘Privacy.’ At the top, you’ll see an option to enable or disable sharing your location with Bing. We recommend turning this off.

4. Navigate To ‘Contacts > Privacy’ and Disable ‘Appear in Search Results’: Lastly, you’ll want to finalize making your Skype account private by preventing other Skype users from being able to search for your account. Skype has traditionally offered users the ability to search for other Skype users by using their email addresses or phone numbers.

While this makes it a lot easier to find friends and family using Skype, it also provides scammers with a way to find your account and send you annoying or threatening messages.

To disable this, select the ‘Contacts’ tab within your settings list. From there, select the ‘Privacy’ tab (a sub-menu under ‘Contacts’ settings). This will allow you to change the way that other Skype users and contacts are able to find you. Here, you can disable ‘Appear in Search Results’ to prevent other Skype users from finding your account.

Other Skype Privacy Tips

If you follow the methods above correctly, then you’ll have effectively set your Skype account to private. No other Skype users (except those who you directly message first) will be able to find your account, call you, or send you any messages. Even your existing Skype contacts won’t be able to tell when you are or aren’t online.

However, there are a couple of other tips that we’ll give you for increasing your account’s overall privacy and anonymity. Take a look!

Limit The Information You Share On Your Profile

If you want to remain more anonymous on Skype and prevent potential hackers from learning personal information about you, then you should do your best to limit the information that you share on your profile. If you do make public posts, don’t mention where you live, what you do for work, personal addresses, names, etc.

All of these details could be potentially used against you if a hacker were to gain access to your account. For example, they could use information from your profile to help their penetration software guess passwords to bank accounts and other applications.

Use A VPN While You’re Online

Another good tip that we always encourage is to use a VPN service like IPVanish while you’re using Skype, especially if you’re talking with users who you’ve never talked to before. The VPN re-routes your internet traffic through a server located in another region, effectively masking your IP address and preventing other users from being able to trace your account back to your physical location.

Using a VPN also provides an additional layer of protection against any potential snoopers who might be able to get past Skype’s encryption protocols. As long as you’re using a high-quality VPN that offers AES military-grade encryption, you’ll never have to worry about anybody (not even the government) being able to access your profile and communication.

Don’t Use Your Real Name On Skype

If you want to retain a higher level of anonymity, then we recommend that you don’t use your real name on Skype. Instead, use a pseudonym or just display your username (as long as it doesn’t mention your real name). This will prevent potential identity thieves and scammers from learning any other personal details about you.

Can I Create An Anonymous Skype Account?

Yes, you certainly can! However, you may want to create a new Skype account, as it’s pretty much impossible to turn an existing account into an anonymous account (due to accumulated data on Skype’s servers).

To start with, you’ll need to connect to and activate your VPN service. Once you’re connected to your VPN, create a brand-new anonymous email address that doesn’t mention your real name or other personal details. Finally, use this new anonymous email to sign up for a new Skype account. While you’re signing up for your new anonymous Skype account, provide a fake name so it can’t be traced back to you.

In Conclusion

As you can see, learning how to make your Skype account private is fairly easy and can be accomplished with a quick adjustment to your profile’s privacy settings. If you want to make an anonymous Skype account, you’ll have to go through a little bit more effort and create an anonymous email account first; however, it’s still 100% possible.

We hope this guide was helpful! Until next time, stay safe and private cyber friends.