Features that Any Skype Power-User Must Know About

The Skype application has grown so popular today that it is well on its way to become a widely and fashionably used verb. However, majority of the Skype populace still uses the application to only make and receive free VOIP calls along with occasional instances of video chatting. That really does amount to under usage of the vast capabilities of an application like Skype. In fact, this program can be a powerful tool in the hands of business owners or even an individual power user because of its fantastic feature list. So which are these fantastic features? Read on to know more.

Screen Sharing

Apart from allowing you to present yourself to another person using video chat, Skype also enables you to present your entire computer screen to another individual. You could be forgiven for not knowing about this feature as it is among the better kept secrets of Skype. Using this feature, you can share different things like a webpage, share presentations or even make a live demo of using a service/product.

To access this feature, first start either a voice or video call from your PC’s Skype client. After the connection is established, you need to hit the ‘+’ icon and then select the option ‘Share screens’. Doing so will cause a pop-up dialog box to appear, which houses the ‘Start’ button that you need to click to begin the desktop sharing process. If, however, you are interested in sharing only certain portions of your computer, select the ‘Share window’ option. Choose the particular folder/window that you wish to share before hitting the ‘Start’ button.

You can also do this across multiple computers but access to Skype’s Premium account will be mandatory in that case.

Record Calls

Although the legality of call recording is a touchy issue, there is no denying of its benefits especially for those running a business. The only caveat here is that you need to ensure that all the parties involved are aware of the recording. With the required consent, one can use this feature to help create written transcripts, improve client service or even look back on important parts of any conference call.

To accomplish this task, you can choose from a number of Skype apps made for Windows. For example, ‘MP3 Skype Recorder’ is capable of starting and ending all recordings manually. This works for different call modes including Skype-Skype, Skype Conference, Skype Online Number calls, and Skype Out. Other nifty features include the option to split any recording into those from the caller and those from the call receiver. The best part about this feature is that it does not cost you even a single dime. If you also happen to need video chat recording, ‘IMcapture’ is a good option that can be bought for 50 bucks.