How to articles & tutorials: How to make cheap international phone calls and text messages with Skype

Skype is a popular software utility that allows users to voice or video chat and instant message with with their friends and family. Another great feature of Skype is that it allows cheap international calls to landline numbers as well as mobile phones. In Skype website you can easily see the phone costs. Just type in your destination country in the search box or you can click 'View all prices' button to see the full list.

You can also easily see the SMS rate by visiting this page, and enter your destination country in the search box.

Registered users can top up their account and use the Skype cheap phone and text message service.

Step 1: Create a new Skype account

You can go to the skype home page and click 'Join Skype' button. Then you would need to fill in all the necessary information such as your name, email address, country, and so on.

Step 2: Install the Skype application

After registering for a Skype account, you can go to this download page to download the Skype program. The download is available for Windows, Mac, Linux and mobile devices like iPhone, Android, and so on. You can then install the Skype application on your PC/Laptop, and follow the prompts to set up your connection.

Step 3: Run the application

In the Skype login window, enter your Skype name and password to log in.

Step 4: Make phone calls

To make a call, you would need to top up your Skype account first. In the main window you can click the 'Call Phones' tab, and then click the 'Buy Skype Credit' button in the pop up 'Call Phone' window. Or you can also visit Skype home page and click the 'Buy Credit' button.

After topping up your account, in the 'Call Phone' window of Skype application you can enter the desired number in the keypad. Skype will automatically include the country code before your number. All you need to do is correctly choose the destination country. Then you can click the dial-button to begin calling.

Step 5: Send text messages

To send a text message, in the 'Call Phone' window of Skype application you can enter the desired number in the keypad and click the SMS icon under the number. Then you can enter your SMS content.