How to Record a Skype Call on Windows and Mac

Cecilia Hwung
5 min readSep 15, 2020

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Record a Skype Call

Skype, developed by Microsoft, is an instant messaging service which is mostly used for text-based chatting, file sharing, voice, and video calling. If you use a smartphone then it can also serve as the main calling app by replacing the stock one. This is a good idea if you call a lot using Skype. But do you know how to record a Skype call?

If not then we will tell you to record Skype in this article. Recording Skype calls become important if it is a business webinar call, a call that includes instructions, or any other call that contains important info which won’t be available later when the call disconnects. So, it is better to save the communication so that you can get that info always ready at your fingertips.

Can you record a Skype call?

You can record Skype calls with the built-in call recorder. You can also use a third-party recorder if you are using Skype on Windows or a Mac computer. On proceeding further with this article you will know more about these two methods and we will also tell you that which method will be best for you.

How to record a Skype call with its built-in recorder on Windows/Mac/mobiles/web?

Before you actually start recording Skype calls you should know some important things:

• This feature is only applicable to peer-to-peer Skype calls.

• The maximum recording can be of 24 hours. After that it will split in to multiple files.

• The recording will be available to download from within the chat. After 30 days they will be auto deleted.

• If you share your desktop screen during a call, it will also be recorded.

• If you start recording Skype calls, everyone involved in that call will be automatically notified.

To record a Skype call, follow a detailed step-by-step tutorial below:

How to use Skype’s built-in recorder

Step 1: Tap the three-dot button.

Step 2: Click Start Recording. All the participants will get notified that you are recording the call.

Step 3: If you want to pause or resume the recording, you can use the control bar.

Step 4: Once you finished the conversation, click the stop icon.

The recorded call will get posted in your chats. You can download it as MP4 file for up to 30 days.

Can you record Skype video calls without other person knowing? Is it legal?

As told earlier if you record a Skype call then everyone connected to it gets notified. Now this is something you don’t want to happen. So can you actually record a Skype call without letting others know? Yes this is possible but only if you use a third-party Skype recorder or a suitable screen recorder.

Now many people will ask this question “Is it legal to record a Skype call?”. This question doesn’t have a certain answer because it falls under the user privacy protection laws which are different for different countries. Every country has different privacy laws and if your country’s laws allow you to do so then it is legal otherwise not.

Why record a Skype call with a third-party recorder tool?

Skype saves your call recordings as MP4 files. MP4 is a lossy compression format which will not produce high quality sound files. And in case of video calls the visual quality will not be that good. So, it is encouraged to use a third-party Skype recorder which doesn’t have any limitations as discussed here. If you want lossless clean sound and clear video quality then we suggest you using VideoProc which is the best third-party recorder for Skype calls. It doesn’t have any of the cons mentioned in case of Skype.

How to record a Skype call without notifying the participants?

This is a step-by-step tutorial for recording Skype calls (voice and video) using our top-rated software, VideoProc. It is a tiny but powerful package which serves as the best video converter, video editor, video downloader, and a reliable screen recorder. Here we will use its advanced screen recorder for recording Skype calls.

How to record a Skype call on VideoProc

To get started, free download and install VideoProc on your PC (VideoProc for Windows) or Mac (VideoProc for Mac), and you are free to go.

Step 1: Go to Recorder function from the main screen.

Step 2: Click Screen from top, and you shall see the entire desktop screen get captured.

Step 3: Click Crop to select the Skype software as the recording area.

Step 4: Make sure to enable both system audio and microphone.

Step 5: Click the REC button to start recording.

Note: You can also edit that file in VideoProc by using its functionalities like cut, crop, trim, convert to other format etc. You can also annotate or highlight anything while recording without letting others know. Just press CTRL + T to open the on-screen annotation tools. These tools are for personal use.

Final Thoughts:

We just have discussed two solid ways to record a Skype call. Which one would you prefer? Many people won’t prefer the Skype’s built-in call recorder not only because it notifies others but also because of lossy file compression. So, to skip these limitations you should use VideoProc which is easy to use, intuitive, records in high quality, can even let you edit or convert those recorded calls. Are these things possible with Skype? No! So without wasting much time you should give a shot to VideoProc at least once.

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Cecilia Hwung
Cecilia Hwung

Written by Cecilia Hwung

Tech writer on AI, hardware, and software. I share reviews, trends, and tips. Visit me at videoproc.com for the latest in multimedia.

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