You’re trying to call someone, but Skype won’t work on your iPhone. You can’t make calls, video chat, or send messages to any of your friends. In this article, I’ll explain why Skype is not working on your iPhone and show you how to fix the problem!
Make Sure Skype Has Access To Your Camera And Microphone
Skype won’t work on an iPhone unless you give the app permission to access Camera for video chats and Microphone so you can talk to the person you’re Skyping.
Head to Settings -> Privacy -> Microphone and make sure the switch next to Skype is on.
Next, go Settings -> Privacy -> Camera and make sure the switch next to Skype is on.
Your iPhone’s Microphone and Camera now have access to Skype! If it’s still not working, move onto the next step.
Check Skype’s Servers
Occasionally Skype crashes, making it unusable for everyone. Check Skype’s status to make sure everything is normal. If the website says Normal service, Skype is working properly.
Close And Reopen Skype
It’s possible Skype has crashed, causing it to stop working. Closing and reopening Skype is a quick way to fix an app crash.
On an iPhone 8 or earlier, double-press the Home button to open the app switcher. Then, swipe Skype up and off the top of the screen.
On an iPhone X or newer, swipe up from the bottom to center of the screen to open the app switcher. Swipe Skype up and off the top of the screen to close it.
Check For A Skype Update
You might be running an outdated version of Skype, which can cause problems. It’s always a good idea to update your apps when possible, as those updates can patch up bugs.
Head to the App Store and tap on the account icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Scroll down to see if a Skype update is available. If one is, tap Update next to Skype.
Restart Your iPhone
Restarting your iPhone is a quick fix for a variety of minor software problems. The programs and applications running on your iPhone get to shut down naturally and start again fresh you turn it back on.
Press and hold the power button (iPhone 8 and older) or simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button (iPhone X or newer). Let go of the buttons when the power slider appears on the screen. Swipe the power icon from left to right to shut down your iPhone.
Check Your Connection To Wi-Fi And Cellular Data
You need a internet connection to use Skype. Make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data by opening Settings.
If you’re using Wi-Fi, tap Wi-Fi and make sure there’s a checkmark next to the name of your Wi-Fi network.
If you’re using cellular data, tap Cellular and make sure the switch next to Cellular Data is turned on.
You can quickly tell if your iPhone isn’t connected to the internet by opening Safari and trying to load a webpage. If the webpage doesn’t load, your iPhone isn’t connected to the internet.
Check out our other articles if your iPhone won’t connect to Wi-Fi or cellular data.
Delete And Reinstall Skype On Your iPhone
When an app regularly crashes, it’s a good idea to delete the app and reinstall it. It’s possible one or more of the app’s files have become corrupted. Deleting and reinstalling the app will give it a completely fresh start.
Press and hold on the Skype icon until the menu appears. Tap Delete App, then tap Delete to uninstall Skype.
Head to the App Store and find Skype. Tap the cloud icon to reinstall Skype on your iPhone.
Reset All Settings
Resetting all settings on your iPhone restores everything in Settings back to factory defaults. This means you’ll have to reenter your Wi-Fi passwords, reset your iPhone wallpaper, reconnect your Bluetooth devices, and so on.
We really only recommend doing this step if you’re experiencing other software problems with your iPhone. Most of the time, isolated app problems are related to the app itself and resetting all settings won’t fix the problem.
Open Settings and tap General -> Reset -> Reset All Settings. Tap Reset All Settings when the confirmation alert appears on the display. You may have to enter your passcode.
Your iPhone will turn off, perform the reset, then turn on again.
Skype Is Working Again!
You’ve fixed the problem and Skype is working again. It’s frustrating when Skype is not working on iPhone, but now you know what to do in case it happens again. Have any other Skype questions? Leave them in the comments section below.
Thanks I think I have a unique problem. I had a problem with Skype so I deleted the app (it was not showing on my screen) and when I went to reinstrall– it appeared that Skype had already been installed as the only option was to “Open” *not the download icon. When I clicked “Open” nothing happened.
I tried this several times and when it finally did :”open” it brought me to the screen with the skype icon grayed out