17. Video, Voice, and Text Chatting
In this chapter, you discover how to use Skype to talk one-on-one with friends and family members and how to send and receive text messages on your computer with the Your Phone app.
Texting with and Talking with the Your Phone App
Your Windows 10 computer is a versatile communications device. Not only can you use your PC to send and receive emails, as I covered in Chapter 16, but you can also use your computer to make voice and video calls to other computer users—and send and receive text messages via your mobile phone.
Chatting with Skype
You may often find yourself far away from the people you love. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t stay in touch—on a face-to-face basis.
When you want to talk to your family members and other loved ones, you can use Skype. Skype is a service from Microsoft that enables subscribers to connect with one another over the Internet, in real time. You can use Skype to conduct one-on-one or group text chats, audio conversations, and video chats.
You can use either Skype’s traditional desktop application (available from www.skype.com) or the Skype app included with Windows 10. This chapter focuses on the Windows 10 Skype app; launch the app from the Windows Start menu.
Before you use Skype, however, you need to either create a new Skype account or sign in with your existing Microsoft account. The basic Skype service is free and lets you conduct voice, video, and text chatting sessions with other Skype users.
Other Video Calling Services
Skype is just one of several consumer-oriented video calling services you can use on your Windows 10 PC. Other popular services include Facebook Messenger (for Facebook members only), Google Duo (duo.google.com), and Zoom (www.zoom.us).
Add a Contact
Before you call someone with Skype, you have to add that person to your Skype contacts list. You can easily add your existing contacts to Skype or find others who are Skype users.
From within the Skype app, click the Contacts tab. Any contacts you’ve already added are displayed here.
Enter a person’s name into the Search box to search for that person on Skype.
Skype displays people who match your query in both your local address book and publicly on Skype. Click the name of the person you want to contact.
To simply say “hi” to this contact, click Say Hi.
Otherwise, type a message to this person.
Click Send. The person you selected now receives a request to become your Skype contact. If the person accepts your request, you’ll be added to each other’s contact lists.
Accepting Contact Requests
Just as you can request someone to be your contact, other people can send contact requests to you. You have the option of accepting or declining any such request. Make sure it’s someone you know before you accept.
Make a Video Call
To conduct a video call, both you and the person you want to talk to must have webcams built in to or connected to your PCs. In addition, you both must be connected to the Internet for the duration of the call.
Click the Calls tab to display recent audio and video calls in the left panel.
Click a person’s name to resume a previous conversation.
Click the New Call button to start a new conversation.
Click to select the person you want to chat with, or enter that person’s name into the Search box. To open a group video call, select more than one person.
Click the Call button.
Click Video Call (camera icon).
Skype now calls the person. When the person answers the call, you see a live picture of the person in the main part of the screen. (Your live picture appears smaller, in the corner of the screen.) Start talking!
Add another person to this call by clicking the Group button.
Click the microphone button to mute the sound. (This is good if you don’t want the other person to hear distracting noises in the background—or if you just need to cough for a minute.)
Click the camera button to mute the picture.
When you’re done talking, mouse over the screen to display the control buttons and then click the red Disconnect button to end the call.
Make a Voice Call
If you don’t have a webcam attached to your computer, or if you’d rather talk to a person without using video, you can use Skype to make a voice call. To do this, you both need microphones and speakers attached to your PC, or you can use a USB headset with a built-in microphone.
Click the Calls tab to display recent audio and video calls in the left panel.
To re-call a person, click the person’s name.
Click the New Call button to start a new conversation.
Click to select the person you want to call, or enter that person’s name into the Search box. To open a group audio call, select more than one person.
Click the Call button.
Click Call (phone icon).
Skype now calls this person. Start talking!
Click the Group button to add another person to this call.
Click the microphone button to mute the sound.
When you’re done talking, mouse over the screen to display the control buttons and then click the red Disconnect button to end the call.
Calling Non-Skype Users
You can also use Skype to voice call non-Skype landline and cell phones, but you have to pay for that. Skype charges 2.3 cents per minute for U.S. calls and sells subscriptions, starting at $2.99 per month, for unlimited voice calling. (Prices vary by the country you’re calling.)
Conduct a Text Chat
If you’d rather just text message a friend, Skype is good for that, too.
Click the Chats tab to display recent chat sessions in the left panel.
To resume a chat, click the person’s name.
Click the New Chat button to start a new conversation.
Click New Chat to start a one-to-one chat. Or…
Click New Group Chat to start a new chat with additional participants.
Click to select the person you want to want to chat with. (To start a group chat, select more than one person.) Or…
Enter the name of the person you want to chat with into the Search box.
Type your message into the Type a Message box at the bottom of the conversation pane.
Click the Open Expression Picker (smiley face) icon to insert an emoji.
Click the Add Files icon to insert a picture or other file.
Click the Send icon or press the Enter key on your keyboard to send your message.
Your message and the other person’s responses are displayed one after another in the conversation pane.
Texting with and Talking with the Your Phone App
If you’d like to use your PC to send and receive text messages from your mobile phone, use the Your Phone app included with Windows 10. This app synchronizes your personal computer to your cell phone so you can send and receive text messages from your PC. (And it’s a lot easier to type texts on your big computer keyboard than it is on the tiny one on your smartphone!)
Link Your Phone to Your PC
For your phone and computer to share text messages and other data, you first have to install the Your Phone Companion app on your phone. You can find the Your Phone Companion app in your phone’s app store; it’s free.
Once you’ve installed the Your Phone Companion app on your phone, you need to link your Windows 10 computer to your phone. You do this by configuring both your computer and your phone. (The following instructions are for Android phones; the iPhone configuration is similar.)
On your computer, open the Your Phone app. If you do not yet have your phone linked, you’ll be prompted to select your phone type. Select either iPhone or Android.
If you haven’t installed the Your Phone Companion app on your phone, do so now. When the app is installed, click Yes, I Finished Installing Your Phone Companion.
Click Open QR Code.
Open the Your Phone Companion app on your phone and follow the onscreen instructions to scan the QR code displayed on your computer.
If your phone prompts you to allow the connection between your phone and the Your Phone app on your computer, tap Allow.
Tap Done on your phone.
If the Your Phone Companion app on your phone prompts you to allow permissions, tap View Permissions and follow the onscreen instructions. (The Your Phone app may also ask you to allow some permissions on your phone; follow the onscreen instructions to do so.)
Receive Texts on Your PC
Once the Your Phone app is linked to your phone, you’ll receive all the texts you receive on your phone on your computer, as well.
Click the Notifications tab in the Your Phone app to view recent texts you’ve received. Unread texts are in bold.
Enter your reply into the Enter a Message box.
Click the Send icon or press Enter.
Send Texts on Your PC
You can initiate new individual (but not group) texts from within the Your Phone app.
Click to display the Messages tab.
Click an existing conversation to resume that conversation. Or…
Click the New Message button to start a new conversation.
Start typing the name or phone number of the person you want to text.
Matching names from your contact list are displayed. Click to select the person you want to text.
Type your message into the Send a Message box.
Click the Emoji button to insert an emoji.
Click the GIF button to insert a GIF (animated picture).
Click the Attach Image button to send a photo or other image file stored on your computer.
Click the Send icon or press Enter on your keyboard to send the text.
Pictures on Your Phone
The Your Phone app also lets you view pictures from your phone on your computer. Just click to select the Photos from the Your Phone tab. Click any picture to view it larger and then save it to your computer or share it via email or social media.
Make a Phone Call on Your PC
When properly configured, the Your Phone app enables you to make calls on your phone from your Windows 10 computer.
Click to display the Calls tab.
Call one of your contacts by entering that person’s name into the Search Your Contacts box. Or…
Click the keypad numbers to enter a phone number you want to call or use your computer keyboard to enter the number manually.
Click the green Dial button or press Enter on your keyboard to place the call.
The Your PC app connects to your phone, initiates the call, and displays a Call panel. Click the Down arrow to expand the panel.
Click the Mute button to mute the call.
Click the Use Phone button to transfer the call to your phone.
Click the red Disconnect button to end the call.
