How do I use Skype with my speaker?

You can set up your speaker for up to two users on the same speaker. After completeing these steps, just sign out of your account and repeat them using the second users account information. 

First you will need to go through the process of setting up the Cortana app on your PC or mobile phone. See your device's instruction manual on how to do so. Be sure to use the same account you use to sign into Skype. Once completed, you're ready to set up Skype.

Note: If you haven't updated your Skype account to a Microsoft account, you'll be taken through the process in order to enable Cortana. Learn more.

1. The account you use to sign into Cortana on the speaker will automatically sign you into your Skype account as well. 
2. During the Skype setup, you will be asked for permission to sync your Skype contacts to Cortana in order to enable calling with Skype.
3. You will then be taken through the tutorials on how to use your Speaker, including how to make Skype calls.

• Your Skype contacts: these are people who you’ve connected with on Skype, or phone numbers you’ve saved as a contact in Skype.
• Your phone contacts: these are the people and numbers you’ve saved in your phone’s address book.  You’ll need to give Cortana permission to sync the contacts from your phone in order to call these contacts.  Generally, Skype Credit or Subscription will be needed to make this type of call but we are offering a limited time promotion that allows free calling to certain destinations. Learn more.
• Phone numbers: you can ask Cortana to call any phone number you recite.  Generally, Skype Credit or Subscription will be needed to make this type of call but we are offering a limited time promotion that allows free calling to certain destinations. Learn more.
• Local Places: ask Cortana to call any local place.  You can ask by the place’s name, or look it up and then ask Cortana to call.  Generally, Skype Credit or Subscription will be needed to make this type of call but we are offering a limited time promotion that allows free calling to certain destination. Learn more.

Yes you can! Learn more about how to set up a Skype number.

If you’ve saved an international number as a contact, you can call that contact by name as you would any domestic contact. If you want to call an international number that you haven’t saved, you can call the number in either of two ways:

• Start the phone number with “+” (“plus”) – i.e. “Hey Cortana, call +44 …”
• Start the phone number with “011” – i.e. “Hey Cortana, call 011 44 …”

Please note that you’ll need additional credits or an international subscription for this scenario, as the initial promotion during device setup only covers calling to the U.S. Learn more about dialing internationally.

If you want to add contacts add them on your phone and then open the Cortana app on your phone to get those contacts synced to the cloud. After that you can call those contacts on your speaker. Learn more.

When you set up your speaker, anyone in the room can ask Cortana and start a Skype call. The speaker will have access to the contacts you’ve enabled (refer to Who can I call from my speaker?) and will announce any incoming caller ID as well. This means you have a couple of options when signing into your speaker:

• Sign into the speaker with your personal account: This means that anyone in the room will be able to access the information and functionality you have with Cortana, including any Skype calls (inbound or outbound).  This is the most personalized experience for Cortana and Skype.
• Create a new account for your family to sign into the speaker: When you sign into the speaker you can create a new account that you can use for your family on the speaker, but this means that Cortana and Skype will only have access to the information and contacts you’ve set up on that account.  You’ll need to re-add contacts with that account for anyone you’d like to call from the speaker (refer to How can I add more contacts?).  This is a less personalized, but more shared, experience.

Skype supports various methods to customize your outgoing caller ID for calls to mobile phones and landlines. Learn more.

We currently don’t support making outbound calls to groups from the speaker.  However, if you’re part of a group that calls you, your speaker will ring and you can pick up that call.

When you ask for Cortana in a call, the remote user will hear what you’re asking Cortana, but won’t hear Cortana’s reply. We do this to respect your privacy; only you get to choose what you want to tell the remote user.

Cortana can only be activated by the words “Hey Cortana.” Nothing from your phone call is recorded, and nothing gets sent to Cortana until you say those words. Additionally, the remote user will not be able to activate Cortana on your speaker while you’re on the call together.

At this time, interacting with IVR systems by taking actions such as pressing letters or numbers during a call is not supported. The Skype team is considering supporting this feature in the future.

For a limited time, we are offering a promotion for anyone who purchases a new Harman Kardon speaker to make unlimited free calling from US to US, Mexico and Canada landlines and mobiles. Once you've signed into your Harman Kardon device, you'll receive an email confirming your subscription. You can check the status of your subscription by logging into your account profile and viewing your subscriptions. Learn more about the Harman Kardon calling promotion.

Note: You don't have to do anything besides setting up your speaker to activate the free calling promotion but, it may take up to 90 minutes for your subscription to be activated. Also, the expiration date of your subscription may not show correctly but don't worry, you'll get your free promotion as noted in the subscription terms.