To remove instant messages or delete or clear conversations:
Learn more about how to remove an instant message or delete or clear a conversation.
To export your messages and media from chat:
- Sign in to the Export page with your Microsoft account.
- Select the option to download your Conversations, Files, or both.
- Exported messages include Skype and SMS messages, polls, scheduled calls, swift cards, and location shares.
- Exported media includes files, pictures, videos, video messages, voice mail, and call recordings.
- Select Submit request then select Continue when prompted.
- You will need to check back periodically to the export page on the status of your export, which you can see at the top of the page under Available Exports. A link to download your files will also appear there when they are available to download.
- Click the Download button to download your files.
Learn more about how long files and data are available in Skype.
To open the files and chat history downloaded from Skype:
The downloaded messages and files are delivered in a .tar file. You may need an additional application to open the .tar export file and extract your messages and files.
To extract the .tar file on Windows 10 or Windows 11:
- Press the Windows + r keys on your keyboard to open the Run window.
- In the Open: field, type cmd and then click OK.
- Use the "change directory" (CD) command to navigate to your file:
- Files saved to your Downloads folder: Type CD Downloads and then press Enter.
- Files saved to a location other than your downloads folder: Type CD DIRECTORY, replacing DIRECTORY with the folder name where your exported file was saved. (IE: CD Desktop), and then press Enter.
- Type tar -xvfYOURFILENAME_export.tar, replacing YOURFILENAME with the name of your exported file which usually follows the pattern 8_skypename_export.tar or 8_live_skypename_export.tar and then press Enter.
- After the command completes, you will see your extracted messages file named messages.json file in the directory. We recommend downloading the file viewer to make is easier to read your conversation history.
- After downloading the viewer, open it by selecting the index.html file from the skype-parser folder.
- Browse to the messages.json file and then click the Load button.
To extract the .tar file on Mac:
Browse to the .tar file you downloaded and open the file. Mac has built-in .tar support.
To extract the Tar file on older Windows operating systems:
You may need a third party application to open the .tar file.
Note: This link is provided for your convenience and is not an endorsement of any particular third party tool. Ensure that any software you choose to download is from a trusted source.