The communication possibilities with Skype are immense. The company of Microsoft It has not only remained with the interaction through the internet, but like the operators established in different countries, it opens the door to calls to conventional numbers and to SMS, also known as text messages.
Like the rest of the special services, you have to pay to use text messagesHowever, the rates are cheaper, below the price of traditional operators, which has allowed many users to be hooked.
Skype text messages have particular characteristics and in this course we are going to know in depth this function of the instant messaging application, apart from how to send them from any device, be it mobile or desktop.
What are Skype SMS and how is SMS different from conventional messaging?
Skype SMS are a way to communicate with the contacts you have added with their phone number in the phonebook, doing it directly from the application to mobile or landlines that have the function of receiving text messages.
In traditional messaging, there is an operator that provides the service nationally or internationally, managed directly from a mobile or landline as the case may be. On Skype, computers and smartphones are combined with conventional equipment to reach users from any country in the world.
Skype texting features
The SMS from Skype they work once credit is purchased within the platform through any of the electronic means payment available.
However, you must take into account the particularities that this service has, among which we can mention:
- The cost of the messages will depend on the number of words that is written and also, the number of people to whom it is sent is taken into account.
- If the message is not received within the next 24 hours that is sent, the discounted amount will be returned.
- They can be sent to any number that has the function of receiving text messages enabled.
- On the sender’s device your username will appear from Skype.
- If you have the mobile phone option configured in Skype, you can receive the texts on your device and not necessarily in the app account.
What should I know about them before submitting one?
Before deciding to purchase a Skype Credit to use the text message feature, it is important that you know how many words you can send, how to customize them and the prices they have in various parts of the world.
In the following lines we explain these details:
Character limit
Each message that is sent has a maximum limit of 160 characters, therefore if you write more than that amount, the price of two texts from your credit will be discounted. An interesting fact to keep in mind is that the window in which you are writing not only tells you the number of characters, but also the cost. Also, they explain in Skype technical support, that must be written in GSM compatible charactersOtherwise, the number of words is limited to 70 for each SMS.
Personalization
One of the customizations you can make when texting is use mobile phone number, this is achieved by changing the sender ID in the Skype account. To do this, the mobile number with the international code must be correctly entered.
To achieve this successfully, follow these steps:
- Log into your Skype account.
- Choose your image of profile.
- Now, look for the sprocket that marks the “Setting”.
- Enter the section “Calls”.
- And in “Caller ID” check that you have configured the mobile number.
- In case you don’t have it, add it without errors and you will have the option configured.
Price and rates in Spain and LATAM
The cost of the message will depend on the country to which it is going to be sent, therefore it is necessary to have a Skype Credit to use this feature.
In this case, we are going to review the rates for Spain and Latin American countries:
- In Spain, available credits are 5, 10 and 25 euros, each message has a cost of 6 cts.
- In Latin American countries, Credits are priced at $ 5, $ 10, and $ 25; each message is priced at 22 ¢.
Learn step by step how to send Skype text messages from any of your devices quickly and easily
On both mobile and desktop devices, you can make use of the texting function.
Here we indicate each of the steps you must take to send them easily.
On Android and iOS
Above we talked about that to use this function you must have one of the Skype credits activated and of course added the respective contacts to be able to send them SMS on both Android and iOS.
Here we indicate what you should do:
- After logging in, select one of the conversations or several to which you want to send a text message.
- Later check the SMS button below the mobile number.
- Write the content of the message and click on “Send”.
On macOS and Windows
In the desktop computers, the steps are the same when sending text messages.
Once you have the Skype application open, follow this path:
- On the left side where are the chats, select one by one who you are going to write to.
- When opening, the option at the top is shown “SMS”.
- Write the content of the message you want to send in the corresponding window and then press the button “Send”.
- For this, it is important have personalized mobile phone number in Skype profile.
As you can see, it is very easy to use this function, in the same way as on a phone, with the advantage that now you can also do it from your computer, without depending exclusively on the internet.