What are the system requirements for Skype?
To get up and running with Skype, you'll need a few basic things, like an internet connection (broadband is best); speakers and a microphone (mobile phones and most computers have these built in); a camera to make video calls (again, mobile phones and most computers have these); and of course, the Skype application on the device of your choice.
The system requirements for running Skype on different operating systems are described below. Please make sure that your system meets these requirements, that your operating system is up to date, and that you have the most recent hardware drivers from the manufacturer installed before downloading the latest version of Skype.
Skype for Computers
| Skype for Windows Desktop | |
|---|---|
| Version |
Windows XP SP3 (32-bit version only)♦ |
| Processor | At least 1 GHz |
| RAM | At least 512 MB |
| Additional software | DirectX v9.0 or above |
* If you're using Windows 7 (SP1), upgrade your Internet Explorer to v11.
♦ If you're using Windows XP SP3, make sure you're using Internet Explorer 8 or above.
| Skype for Modern Windows | |
|---|---|
| Version |
Windows 8 *♦ Windows 8.1 |
| Processor | 1.9 GHz Quad-core processor |
| RAM | At least 1 GB |
* If you're using Windows 8, the newest version of Skype for modern Windows you can download is Skype 1.9 for modern Windows. For the best experience, we recommend you upgrade to Windows 8.1.
♦ If you’re using Windows 8 Enterprise N or KN, follow this guide.
| Mac | |
|---|---|
| Version | Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard (on Intel processors) or higher* |
| Processor | At least 1 GHz Intel processor (Core 2 Duo) |
| RAM | At least 1 GB |
| Additional software | The latest version of QuickTime |
*To run the latest version of Skype for Mac (Skype 7.0), you need to run Mac OS X 10.9 or higher.
| Linux | |
|---|---|
| Version |
Ubuntu 10.04+ Debian 6.0+ Fedora 16+ OpenSUSE 12.1+ |
| Processor | At least 1 GHz |
| RAM | At least 256 MB |
| Additional software |
Qt 4.6 |
Skype for mobiles
| Windows Phone | |
|---|---|
| Version |
Windows Phone 8 Windows Phone 8.1 |
| Hardware | Varies with manufacturer |
| Android | |
|---|---|
| Version | Android OS 2.3 and above* |
| Hardware | Varies with manufacturer♦ |
| Free Space | At least 27 MB |
*To run the latest version of Skype for Android (Skype 5), you'll need to have Android OS version 4.0 or above. If you're running Android OS 2.3 and above, you can run Skype 4 for Android.
♦You will also need to know what type of processor your device has. If you're not sure, check the device's user manual, or contact its manufacturer. For the following processors:
- ARMv7 processors (or processors capable of running its instruction set): Skype is fully supported.
- ARMv6 processors: Skype can run on these devices but video calling is not supported. Examples of ARMv6 processor devices: Samsung Galaxy Ace, HTC Wildfire.
| iOS | |
|---|---|
| Version |
iOS5 or above* |
| Hardware |
iPhone 4 iPhone 4s iPad 2 iPad Air iPad Mini iPhone 5 iPhone 5c iPhone 5s |
*To run the latest version of Skype for iOS (Skype 5), you'll need iOS7 or above. If you run iOS 5 or iOS 6, you can run Skype for iOS 4.17.3 (on iPhone) or Skype 4.18 (on iPad).
