Skype is a proprietary powerful communication service, offering not only free group video calling, but also calling to standard phones, instant messaging, live translation, debit-based calls to landline and mobile telephones, file transfer, and bots.
It has been a mainstay in the video conferencing market since its launch in 2003. Now Skype is owned by Microsoft, and over 300 million users rely on it for their video conferencing needs each month.
Skype had become so big that in 2011 The Onion joked that “Skype” would be added to the dictionary. Three years later, the verb was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, highlighting how popular the service had become.
It is cross-platform, available on Windows, Linux, and macOS and You can take advantage of Skype whether you’re an Android or Apple user. In fact, clients are even available for Android Wear, Apple Watch, Blackberry, Linux, and Xbox.
Number of estimated Skype users registered worldwide from 2009 to 2024(in billions):
Table of Contents
Key Features of Skype
- Audio and HD video calling
- Call recording and Live subtitles
- Smart messaging
- Call phones
- Screen sharing
- Private conversations
- No matter where you are, stay connected with your friends, family and colleagues with Skype Web
- Share Files
- Raise hand
- Forward calls
- Search within a conversation
- Go from chat to video in just one click right from your Outlook Inbox.
Skype is not an open-source application and It is not included in the standard Ubuntu repositories. It can be installed as a snap package via the Snapcraft store or as a .deb package from the official Skype repositories.
This article explains two methods of installing Skype on Ubuntu 20.04. Choose the installation method that is most appropriate for your environment.
Method 1: Installing Skype as a Snap Package
The easiest way to install Skype on Ubuntu 20.04 is by using the snap packaging system.
A snap package is a type of universal Linux package that you can enjoy irrespective of the distro. Its an self-contained software packages that include the binary all dependencies needed to run the application.
All you need is the snap service pre-configured, In the case of Ubuntu 20.04, it comes with snap pre-installed.
If snapd package is not already installed then you can install it by running following command.
$ sudo apt install snapdNote: Snap packages can be installed from either the command-line or via the Ubuntu Software application.
This is actually the Snap version of the Skype. It can be used on any Linux distribution that has Snap support.
Open your terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and type the following command to install the Skype package.
$ sudo snap install skype --classicThe --classic option is required because the Skype snap requires full access to the system, like a traditionally packaged application.
At this step, you have successfully installed Skype on Ubuntu 20.04 system.
If you are not comfortable with the command line, open Ubuntu Software, search for “Skype” and install the application.
Type the following command to update Skype package.
$ sudo snap refresh --listMethod 2: Installing Skype using deb package
Skype is available from the official Microsoft Apt repositories. So, We’ll download and install the .deb package from there.
Step #1
Visit at Official Page to Download the Skype .deb package OR Open your terminal and type the following command to download the package.
$ wget https://go.skype.com/skypeforlinux-64.debStep #2
Now type the following command to install the downloaded package.
$ sudo apt install ./skypeforlinux-64.debWhen a new version is released, type the following commands to update the Skype Package.
$ sudo apt update && sudo apt upgradeStarting Skype
In the Activities search bar type “Skype” and click on the icon to launch the application.
Skype User Interface:
How to Uninstall Skype from Ubuntu 20.04
For some reason, If you want to uninstall Skype, refer following methods.
Method #1
If you have installed Skype via Snap type the following command:
$ sudo snap remove skypeMethod #2
If you have installed the appication using .deb then uninstall by running the below command:
$ sudo apt-get remove skypeConclusion
I hope that now you have a good understanding of How to Install Skype on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa.
If anyone does have any questions about what we covered in this guide then feel free to ask in the comment section below and I will do my best to answer those.