How To Email & Messaging How to Update Skype The process is pretty straightforward for most devices Share Pin Email Print Skype running on a Mac. Email & Messaging VoIP Basics Guides & Tutorials Installing & Upgrading Tips & Tricks Key Concepts by Simon Chandler Simon Chandler is a tech writer covering cryptocurrency, social media, AI and other topics. His work has appeared in Wired, TechCrunch, and The Verge. Updated August 06, 2018 Skype is becoming increasingly common as a means of communicating with others. However, as useful as it can be, it's never the best idea to use an older version of the app when a newer one is available. This guide explains how to update Skype, with tips on updating Skype for Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android. How to Update Skype on Mac You can update Skype for Mac by clicking the menu bar's Skype button. Updating Skype on your Mac computer is easy. Here's how to perform a Skype update on the most recent versions of macOS (i.e. Yosemite through to High Sierra): Launch the Skype appClick the Skype button on the left-hand side of the Mac's menu barClick Check For Updates In most cases, you'll see a new window that reads, "You're on the latest version of Skype." This means there's no need to update. However, if you don't have the latest version, you'll be told something like, "There's a new version of Skype available." In this case, you'll then have to click Download, which will begin the updating process. How to Update Skype on Windows You can update Skype for Windows by clicking the Help button. The process is virtually identical with Skype for Windows, save for a difference in the exact menu bar and button used. Here's how you do it: Launch the Skype appSelect the Help button on the right-hand side of the Skype menu barSelect Check for updates manually Once again, you'll be told "You're on the latest version of Skype" if an update is unnecessary. If you're told "There's a new version of Skype available" you'll also have to select Download to begin updating. Note: With Skype for Windows (and also for Mac) you shouldn't actually need to run through this process, since the app is normally set to update automatically. This feature can be turned off, however (see section below), enabling you to update manually. How to Update Skype on iPhone and Android You can update Skype for iPhone by opening the App Store and tapping the Updates tab. To update Skype on your iPhone, you have to do the following: Open the Apple App Store appTap Updates (in the bottom-left corner of the screen)Scroll down to check whether an update for Skype is availableIf an update is available, tap UPDATE (image above shows OPEN, since the app was already updated) An alternative way of checking whether you have the latest version of Skype installed on your iPhone: Launch the Skype appTap your profile picture at the top of the screenScroll down to About, which you can tap to see which version of Skype you have. Comparing your version against the latest released will let you know whether you should launch the App Store to install an update. When it comes to performing a Skype update for Android, a similar process to updating for iPhone is required. Open the Google Play Store appTap the More button on the left-hand side of the screenTap My appsScroll down to Skype, then tap on itTap Update Note: It won't be possible to perform step 5 if you already have the latest version. However, it's worth checking back every month or so to see if a new version has become available. How to Update Skype via Automatic Updates You can switch off automatic updates, although for Mac this turns off auto updates for all apps at once. It has to be repeated that you shouldn't need to perform a Skype update yourself; for Mac and for Windows, Skype updates automatically. Nevertheless, you can turn off automatic updates if you're so inclined, and you can also turn them back on again, in case you miss the convenience of not having to think about whether you're using the latest version. Here's how to turn automatic Skype updates for Mac off or on: Launch System PreferencesOpen App Store settingsUncheck the Install app updates option. Check this again to switch auto-updates back on. Note: Doing this deactivates automatic updates for all the apps on your Mac, so it's not really a good idea unless, for whatever reason, you really dislike Skype being updated automatically. And here's how to turn automatic Skype updates for Windows off or on: Launch the Skype appSelect Tools on the Skype menu barChoose OptionsSelect Advanced > Advanced Options > Turn off automatic updatesSelect Save You can turn auto-updates on again by going through the exact same process, except this time you select Turn on automatic updates. Continue Reading