Tech Reference

How to set up a Skype conference call between Skype users for free, or between non-users for a fee

Skype desktop logo
You can set up a Skype conference call on either your PC or Mac computer. Gil C/Shutterstock
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With about one minute of set-up time, you can put together a Skype conference call that will link together dozens of people in one easy, approachable format. 

Skype group calls can be audio, video, or a mix of both, depending on the devices used. Skype conference calls can also be between Skype users only, or a mix of Skype users and people using a cell phone or landline, however there are fees associated.

The process of setting up Skype group calls varies slightly depending on whether or not the group is purely made up of Skype users, so let's look at both procedures, with Skype only users first.

How to set up a Skype conference call with only Skype users on PC

1. Launch Skype on your PC and click the "Group" icon above your list of contacts.

2. An empty window will appear. Click and drag the contacts you wish to be in the group call into the window.

3. Now click the "Call group" button to initiate the call.

How to set up a Skype conference call with not only Skype users on PC

1. First, follow the steps above adding all callers who are on Skype. (If there are none, the initial process is still the same.)

2. Click the plus "+" icon beside the "Call group" button and type in the phone numbers to be called.

3. Click "Call group" and let the conference call begin.

Don't forget to name and save your group if you need to use it again later.

How to set up a Skype conference call on Mac

1. Launch Skype on your Mac and click the "Chats" icon at the top of the left side of your screen.

How to set up a Skype conference call
Click "Chats."  Isabella Paoletto/Business Insider

2. Click the arrow next to "New Chat" to open a dropdown menu. Click "New Group Chat."

How to set up a Skype conference call
Select "New Group Chat" from the menu.  Isabella Paoletto/Business Insider

3. Name your group and add a photo, if you'd like, in the pop-up window. Click the blue arrow icon at the bottom right corner of the window.

How to set up a Skype conference call
Click the arrow to continue.  Isabella Paoletto/Business Insider

4. Search for users that you'd like to add to your group call by typing their name into the blue search bar at the tap and then checking the circle next to their name in the search results.

How to set up a Skype conference call
Click the circle next to the user's name.  Isabella Paoletto/Business Insider
  • If you have Skype credit, you can also search for a person's phone number in the search bar and then add them to the call. 
How to set up a Skype conference call
You need Skype credit to add a phone number to the group chat.  Isabella Paoletto/Business Insider

5. Once you've added everyone to your group call, click the blue "Done" button at the top-right of the window.

How to set up a Skype conference call
Click "Done."  Isabella Paoletto/Business Insider

6. To start a call or video call, click either the phone icon or the video camera icon at the top-right of the screen.

How to set up a Skype conference call
Click either the phone or video camera icon, depending on which type of call you'd like to start.  Isabella Paoletto/Business Insider

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Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.