Skype is a Microsoft software, dedicated to voice calls, video calls and messaging, free to use. It is integrated into the latest versions of the Windows operating system so it runs automatically when you log in to your account, which consumes some of your computer’s resources.
We should also mention that Skype has more than a few alternatives on the market, as video calls are becoming more and more frequent.
If you want to disable Skype’s default startup, logout, or disable its notifications and even if you are interested in knowing the reason why applications like Skype open their login window automatically, we invite you to read this entire article.
What is the reason why some Apps start automatically when you turn on your PC?
Applications can start automatically when you turn on your computer, whether you need them or not, applications such as Skype, Adobe Acrobat, iTunes and others are configured to run as soon as you log in.
As for example Skype, for being a Microsoft’s own app, it is integrated in the system and, therefore, its configuration is predetermined, the only thing you must do to be able to use it is to create an account in Skype.
Startup applications consume resources and RAM memory unnecessarily that affect the performance of any computer. Therefore, we recommend that you have your operating system startup clean, so that your computer starts up quickly and does not slow down your computer’s performance.
How to stop Apps from starting automatically when you turn on your computer?
There are two ways in which you can disable the automatic startup of your applications, from startup applications or from the system task manager. The first option being the safest. From the Windows startup browser you will have to type ‘Startup applications’, where you will have to select the app.
The applications will be demarcated by a green button, indicating that the application will start automatically, which you will have to uncheck. The number of applications that appear will indicate the startup speed of your computer, since the fewer the number of applications, the faster the initial startup speed will be.
What should you do to disable the automatic startup of Skype on your PC?
To disable the automatic startup of the app, you must go to the startup applications option, located in the Windows settings, where you will find all the applications that are allowed to start in Windows. Choose the Skype option by right-clicking and selecting the disable option.
Another way in which you can control your application and prevent it from starting automatically is with the ‘Task Manager’. To open it you will have to press the keys Control + Shift + Esc, you will see a list of the applications that are running.
You will have to locate the Skype application in the list of programs that will appear and click on the option disable, located in the inferior part of the window. This will stop the application from starting automatically.
Signing out of Skype
To log out, you only need to access your profile button in Skype, located on the top left side identified with the initials of your name or with the profile picture you have configured.
Once you do this, you will see a menu appear in which you will see the phrase ‘Sign out’ in the upper right section. Click there and you will be successfully signed out of Skype.
Disable notifications from settings
To deactivate Skype notifications you must click on your profile picture, then select the settings > Notifications option. There you will be able to deactivate and activate notifications according to their type, such as:
Chat notifications, in case you want to mute only chats.
- Contact notifications, to receive notifications when a contact is online.
- Reaction notifications, which notifies you when a contact reacts to a message.
- These types of notifications and more, you will have to deactivate them, and you will also be able to customize the notifications, in case you do not want to deactivate them all. You only need to select a conversation, the contact’s name and select the chat settings where the option to disable the notification for that chat will appear.
Remove and reinstall to a new version
If for some reason the Skype application is experiencing technical problems or you want to reinstall the app you must follow these simple steps, which vary depending on the operating system you are using. In both cases your Skype account must be closed, it should not be running.
If you are a Windows operating system user, the steps you must follow to achieve a clean uninstallation are as follows:
- Verify that Skype is not running, to do this you must go to the task manager and click on the end task option.
- Press the keys Windows + R. Where a box will appear where you will have to write ‘appwiz.cpl’, execute and accept.
- Look for the Skype application in the list.
- Click on it, from the right button of the mouse and select the option of ‘Remove’ or ‘Uninstall’.
Finally, you will be able to uninstall the software from your computer or reinstall a new version. If, on the other hand, you are on a Mac, you will need to:
- Open the ‘Applications’ folder and drag the app icon to the trash.
- Open ‘Finder’ and type Skype, browse all the results and drag it to the trash. Once there you will have to press ‘Control’, click on the trash icon and click on ‘Empty Trash’.
- Restart the computer.
- Download and install the new version.
- You will need to download the latest available version of Skype to make sure everything works correctly on your computer, laptop or mobile device.