I remember downloading Skype ages ago, back when it was basically the only way to make free calls over the internet. It's a communication app, plain and simple, but it covers a lot of ground. You can use it for one-on-one video calls, group chats, or just sending quick text messages. On Google Play, it's been installed billions of times and it's free to download, though you will run into in-app purchases for things like phone credit or subscriptions. When you first launch it, the interface feels a bit busy. There's a lot going on with tabs for chats, calls, and contacts, and it takes a moment to figure out where everything lives.

After signing in, you're thrown into the main chat list, which can feel overwhelming if you have a ton of old group conversations. The onboarding is straightforward, just a few steps to grant permissions for your camera and microphone. My daily use usually starts with tapping the Calls tab to ring a friend. The video quality is decent, but sometimes the app lags a bit if your internet connection isn't rock solid. What I found mildly annoying is how pushy the interface can be with promotions for Skype Credit or subscription plans. A small tip, you can mute notifications per chat by long-pressing the conversation, which saved me from a few spammy group chats.

Personally, I think Skype is a mixed bag on my phone. It's excellent for people who need a reliable way to call landlines or international numbers without paying a fortune. But if you're just doing basic video calls with friends, apps like WhatsApp or FaceTime feel snappier and less cluttered. What keeps me from uninstalling it is the feature to record calls, which comes in handy for work. Still, I wouldn't recommend it to someone looking for a sleek, modern messaging experience. It feels a bit like a workhorse, not a glamorous tool, and that's fine by me, but I can see why many users might bounce off it after a week.

• ☎️ One feature that stands out compared to Zoom is Skype's ability to call real phone numbers. While Zoom focuses on virtual meetings, Skype lets you dial landlines and mobiles directly if you have credit, which is huge for staying in touch with family abroad without them needing an app installed.
• ☎️ The live subtitles feature is something Google Meet doesn't offer as smoothly. During video calls, Skype can translate spoken words into captions in real time. It's not perfect, but it helps a lot when the person on the other end has a thick accent or if you're in a noisy room.
• ☎️ Another thing I appreciate is the screen sharing with annotation tools. Unlike FaceTime which lets you share a screen but not draw on it, Skype allows you to highlight parts of the screen during a call. It's a small touch that makes it useful for quick presentations or helping parents navigate their phone settings.

• 👎 A big downside is how cluttered the app feels. WhatsApp keeps things minimal, but Skype's main screen throws chats, contacts, and ads for credit at you. It's distracting and makes finding a new message harder than it should be.
• 👎 The reliability isn't great compared to Zoom. Calls drop more often, and the audio sometimes goes out of sync with the video. For a serious meeting, I'd rather use Zoom because it feels more stable and less prone to glitches.
• 👎 There's also the issue of notifications. Skype tends to send repeated alerts for the same message, especially in group chats. Telegram handles this far better, giving you one clear notification instead of spamming your lock screen every few minutes.

• ✅ One clear advantage over FaceTime is platform support. FaceTime is locked to Apple devices, but Skype runs on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. You can switch from your phone to your laptop and the conversation follows you without missing a beat.
• ✅ The ability to share files directly during a call is something Google Duo doesn't do naturally. Skype integrates file sharing into chats seamlessly, so you can pass a PDF or photo while you're talking without closing the call window.
• ✅ I also value the built-in call recording. Zoom records to the cloud, which needs a paid plan for longer sessions. With Skype, you can record locally for free, and it saves as an MP4 file directly to your device, which gives you control over the footage.