How to merge Skype accounts

How many Skype accounts can one user have? The number is unlimited, in fact, as the only thing you need to create a new account is an active phone number or an email address.

Most likely, there will be personal accounts for friends and family and work accounts for communication with colleagues or clients. Or there could be accounts created long ago you don't remember credentials of and can't retrieve them, because the mailboxes and phone numbers you used then do not exist anymore. It would be easier to register a new one and add contacts from scratch. Thus, it is quite a usual thing to have a couple of active service accounts which one would use regularly.

The next thing could be a need to merge Skype accounts into one to communicate with different contacts using different usernames.

It goes without saying that this would be a good option, however, it is not supported now. One application is for one user: if you want to chat with someone on behalf of another username, you will have to sign out and sign in with different login and password for a new name, which is tiresome and annoying and would hardly be suitable for the usual fluent communication.

Thus, even if there is no way in the current circumstances to have several usernames and contact lists in one account, there is a way to run several Skype accounts simultaneously.

Running different accounts in different versions of Skype on one computer

First of all, this product has three builds for different environments: the desktop application, the mobile app and the web version available in browser.

You can communicate with clients, make business calls and discuss work issues while being at your PC with the desktop application, and you can log in separately to the browser version with your credentials for personal account at the same time or use the mobile app on your smartphone.

This still requires fiddling with several devices, so the solution is not perfect.

Adding a secondary active Skype application on one computer

Another option which might be closer to what we need. Here we’ll explain how to merge two Skype accounts within one desktop application, though in separate windows, on one computer. A user can sign in with different usernames, it will be much more convenient than with separate devices.

There are two ways to do this.

The first option is for Windows 10 users. This OS already has a separate version of Skype. It is installed by default as one of the Windows 10 system apps. If not, you can get it for free and install yourself.

On another hand, you can also download usual application for Windows-based computers (it is compatible with Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10), install it on the same PC, launch it and log in with a different account. Both these apps can be run simultaneously.

However, if you do not have Windows 10, there is an option to add a secondary active application and run them both at the same time on one computer. Here is how to do this.

Click the Windows Start button and type skype into the search field to find the exact location where this application is installed on your machine. Right-click on it and choose Properties. It will show the exact path. Copy it and save somewhere.

Now you need to modify this path. For example, on your machine it is:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Skype for Desktop\Skype.exe"

Add to this line /secondary after a space. The correct string must look like this:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Skype for Desktop\Skype.exe" /secondary

All quotes and spaces must be in place.

Now, launch the desktop application in usual way and sign in with credentials for one account. Leave it running.

Then again go to the Start button and enter the line we've just modified into the search field.

Press Enter, and this will open the second Skype instance where you can have a different login.

Here you are: two active windows for two separate usernames.

Important! This option is available for the latest versions only, so, if you have a version older than 4.0, it won't work; you'll need to update it first. And it is always better to have the newest versions, as older ones might not be even supported. You can update yours from within the application or reinstall it with a new installation file.

So, as you see, if you need the exact information on how to merge two Skype accounts, there is no complete quick fix. However, a partial solution is available — not perfect, but acceptable — that matches the needs more or less.

Gathering contacts from several Skype accounts into one

It can be that you don't need several accounts and would like to leave one and use it only. This would almost meet the task to merge Skype accounts, though you would use just one ID; you'll have all contacts in one place.

There is an option of sending contacts from one account to another, thus you can omit the process of searching all people from scratch.

First of all, make sure that your accounts are present in each other's contact lists. If not, you'll need to login to each, one by one, and send message to yourself to accept and add into contact list.

Having an application working in several places (desktop, smartphone/tablet and browser) will be convenient here: you'll be able to send, accept requests and track if everything's fine.

After this, use the option to send contacts, it is available in desktop application and in the web version.

Click on an icon and then choose the contact you want to send to the second account.

You'll need to send these contacts requests for them to add your account into their contact list.

Besides, after you send them the request, you will get the contacts in your chats list. Right-click on the chat, choose the View profile option, then Add on Skype. This takes time, however, you'll need to do this once.

Also, you might need to let your contacts know that you'll send them requests from a different account so they would know it's you and add your new contact.

Connect Skype account to Microsoft account

If you decide to sort all your accounts and close those ones you would not need, it might be worth checking for the Microsoft account.

The thing is, after being purchased by Microsoft in 2011, Skype became one of its products tied to one general account, and when you create an account with it, you also receive an ID for such Microsoft products as Office, Hotmail, OneDrive and Xbox Live.

And, vice versa, if you use any of those products or services, it means that you have an account with Skype too. There won't be any necessity to pass a new registration process, get verification codes and enter captchas, you need only to enter the existing credentials and get into the area. There is a detailed illustrated guide on signing up with Microsoft, have a look at it.

Thus, if you think of joining contacts from several accounts together and getting rid of the doubles, then you might choose the Microsoft account as the main identifier.