On Skype mobile and WiFi
In the 5 days since the launch of Skype mobile, we’ve seen a phenomenal response both in the media and from individuals like you, in blogs and on social networking sites.
One question which has come up a lot is this: why doesn’t the app work over WiFi? The truth of the matter is simple. For Verizon, and for the current generation of BlackBerry and Android smartphones, the decision to route calls over the voice network was an easy one to make.
First, Verizon has the best network, with incredible coverage and reliability across the US. We’re making full use of that with the Skype mobile app.
But even if coverage isn’t an issue for you, using Verizon’s network has another major advantage: battery life. Using Verizon’s own 3G network means that you’ll be able to talk for longer, with fewer trips back to the charger. More significantly, because the calls are placed over the voice network, just like a regular phone call, you’ll be able to use all your favourite accessories – bluetooth headsets, car kits, and so on – when making a Skype call, giving you more flexibility to make calls when you’re on the move.
Lastly, a reminder: with Skype mobile, calls to other people on Skype are completely free. No per-minute charge from Skype, and they don’t use up your Verizon Wireless minutes. Calls to US numbers are treated as regular Verizon minutes, and calls to international landlines and mobiles cost only a little – check out our rates.
Thats cool everything goes over Verizons voice network and all, but why can’t the app even launch/function if WIFI is enabled on the device for non-skype usage?
@rory.toop we’re looking to address this in a future version
This brief article just beats around the bush about why Skype uses the Verizon network, not exactly why it doesn’t support Wifi. Reading your comment about Wifi being a possibility in a later version is what I was looking for. Had Skype come straight out and said, “Wifi is currently unsupported, but will possibly be released in a later version of the app.” then I’m sure there would be significantly fewer complaints.
I love having Skype on my phone, but if you’re not going to support Wifi, please make the app degrade gracefully, versus disconnecting and not auto-reconnecting when 3G is back and Wifi is off.
Looking forward to future updates on the app!
Skype Mobile is a joke. Frankly, if I wanted to make bad cellular calls, I would just dial the phone. I don’t need a Skype front end that implies I’m going to get Skype like voice qualities, when I’m just getting another cell phone call.
I’m not quite mad, but I’m a bit more than irritated that I’m using something called “Skype” which is nothing of the sort. The call quality is so BAD on “Skype Mobile” calls, Skype as a company just looks incompetent.
I love the Droid phone I have, from a Smartphone standpoint. But I can’t stand the call quality. I have been holding out that I’d be able to go to Skype, which I use fairly extensively when I have a PC available. Now that I’m finding out that Skype Mobile is the same or worse crappy Verizon/Droid audio quality, I’m more than a little bit irritated that Skype couldn’t be honest and just say the truth.
“This isn’t Skype, this is a Cell phone with a Skype IM UI. Your calls will still suck just as bad, maybe worse.”
Thanks for nothing Skype. Let me know when I’ll be using SILK to make a Skype call. Don’t bother us with your application or my money until then.
Unfortunately, if the person you are calling has a skypein number, be wary. I installed the application a week ago, believing it would mean more time to talk with my wife currently studying in the U.K. Then I looked at my cell phone usage, and discovered I had run over my minutes for the month.
It seems that, despite selecting my wife’s skype account, and despite confirming that I wanted to call her skype account, and not her U.K. number (from her skype profile) in the friendly popup, skypemobile willynilly placed numerous such calls not as skypetoskype calls, but as domestic calls to her skypein number. I did not ask to call her skypein number, I selected her username in the skypemobile application, and then selected her username again in the popup confirming I didn’t mean to call her U.K. number, and all such calls reported as skypemobile calls.
Yet here I am looking at a phone bill with multiple domestic U.S. skypein calls over the last week, when all such calls were made from within the skypemobile application to her skype account confirming that I intended to call her skypemobile username, not her U.K. number (listed on her skype profile) nor her domestic U.S. skypein number (not listed on her skype profile). Apparently, the skype application knows the skypein/skypeout number of the party called, and uses that as it pleases, all the while reporting the call as a “skypemobile” call.
Application not trustworthy. Deleted.
Peter,
As a top communications guy for a top company, you’re most likely pouring in a lot of blood sweat and tears to Skype, Inc.
So it’s perhaps interesting that you may not necessarily know what’s happening with your engineering, CSR, and payment processing, but to fill you and your SEO support team in on a little secret. Your bounce rate at the payment processing page must be staggeringly high, and it’s not because you’re not using witty marketing.
It’s because people like me with EXCELLENT CREDIT, enter our credit card information (with two “separate” cards) … and get rejected?
Compounding this impact on your bottom line ($2.95 x hundreds of thousands = chump change?) is the particularly cagey situation where a newly subscribed person, such as myself immediately tries to purchase an online number with the same card that was only minutes before accepted, and HE IS REJECTED!
How many cards does it take to set-up Skype. Indeed, why is so hard to pay Skype? When people want to pay me, I bend over backwards to make that possible )
Anyway, it’s your bottom line. I’d thought that I’d let you know.
As a long time Skype subscriber and a current Verizon business user, here are the updates I hope you will adress on the next update of Skype Mobile.
1. Allow Skype calls over Wifi. The argument against using it is weak and makes no sense.
2. Route all calls through the Skype interface. I do not want my Skype calls to appear on my regular phone bills. As someone who is already subscribed to unlimited US calls, there is no reason calls made using Skype mobile to a local number should appear on my regular phone bill. That is basically double dipping.
3. Local calls should display SkypeIN numbers not my cell phone number. It does not make any sense that I paid for and obtained a SkypeIN number, yet when I make a call using the Skype Mobile, the caller will see my business cell phone number instead of my SkypeIN number which is what displays when I use the PC based Skype.
Until you make all the changes above, the Skype Mobile is a useless application. I have promptly deleted it and waiting to see the time you will come up with a proper Skype App that replicates Skype on PC as we know it.
I was truly looking forward to this app using the data network and hopefully having the amazing call quality of the SILK codec because quite honestly, the droid voice quality isn’t as good as other phones and SILK blows that quality away. For those of us with unlimited voice/data/text plans, this is a true disappointment but I appreciate the effort.
You are being disingenuous here.
It is easy to show that while WiFi standby uses more power than 3G, streaming over WiFi uses far less power (especially when there is a weak 3G signal). Additionally, streaming quality is going to be much better over most WiFi networks.
I do not understand how this deal with Verizon benefits Skype or its customers. It just seems to force limited 3G subscribers to upgrade to unlimited plans, and it does nothing to relieve the pressure on unlimited 3G subscribers who are looking for more minutes without upgrading their Verizon plan. I’m happy to pay Skype for SkypeOut minutes; I’m unhappy to pay Verizon more for voice minutes.
Just want to make sure I’m interpreting this correctly. In order to use Skype Mobile, you can download it to your cell phone, but the other party can only receive it on their computer? In other words, Skype Mobile is only Skype to Skype computer or Skype Mobile cellphone, but not Skype Mobile cellphone to a cellphone that doesn’t have Skype? (Thanks to anyone who can shed any light on this, basically I’m interested in possibly upgrading to a Skype Mobile phone with Verizon for when in Europe, but I want to be able to call another cellphone, not a PC, in Europe that doesn’t have Skype Mobile).
OK, I love my Droid and Verizon service. I love Skype when I was using the iTouch. I travel a lot over seas and the ability to talk over WiFi to call back home has been wonderful.
I am very disapppointed in the Skype Mobile. The main reason I have Skype is to be able to use the WiFi function to call home cheapy. I have stopped using Skype and put money into my account until they fix this issue. I have no other reason to use Skype Mobile until this is fixed. I have a hard time understanding why this has been such a problem when I have been using Skype on iTouch for almost a year now.
Well, it looks like I’m going to have to go back to my original plan of replacing my mp3 with an iPod Touch and putting skype on it instead of getting a “crackberry” world and loading it up. The wifi issue is a major one, considering most Verizon access overseas is $1.99/minute.
As was said by another poster, the explanation given for preventing Skype from using WiFi on Verizon is completely disingenuous.
First, the network. Granted, Verizon has a great network and the ability to use Skype on that network is terrific. But as someone who occasionally uses Skype over AT&T’s 3G network (on a jailbroken iPhone), I can attest to the *fact* that, even with a strong 3G signal, the call quality is significantly less than calls over WiFi access to a broadband connection.
Second, battery life. Even assuming a Skype call uses less power over 3G than WiFi (a suspect claim in itself), the fact that I’m near a WiFi signal means I’m near electricity, and likely sitting at my desk where I often have my phone plugged into USB and charging anyway.
To suggest that Skype intentionally limited WiFi *only on Verizon* out of concern for how often I’d need to charge my phone is insulting. I’m perfectly capable of making the decision of which network to use, thank you very much.
It’s pretty clear the real reason is the part about Skype to landline calls counting against your Verizon plan minutes. That being the case, what exactly is the usefulness of Skype in the first place? What possible reason would I choose to PAY monthly charges for Skype Out ***AND*** then have those minutes count against my Verizon minutes? I’d essentially be paying twice for the same call – once to Skype and again to Verizon.
I’m fed up with companies limiting what I can do with my own hardware – Apple tells me what apps I can and can’t install on my phone, Verizon charges me to use hardware I’ve already paid for (in-phone GPS) and now Skype tells me I can’t use my account over my home broadband connection with my phone.
Get your damn hands out of my pocket, I’ve already paid for your hardware/software/service, let me use it how I see fit, otherwise I’ll find another company who will.
And where is Skype for Blackberry for users who are not on Verizon or even do not live in the U.S.? Hey, Skype, there are some users in the rest of the world! You really need Verizon’s money, poor little Skype.
My kids can use Skype via WiFi on their $150 PSPs and I can’t use it on my $500 Droid. Why would I use Skype over my Verizon phone if I have mobile-to-mobile free calls unless I don’t have a good verizon signal. When I travel, nearly every hotel, cruise ship and even my home has WiFi. There is not always good Verizon signal quality. I loaded the app on my new Droid yesterday, I’m taking it off today.
Hello,
I downloaded Skype for Verizon BB. I must say that the Chat works well. So does the calling. There are 2 things I have trouble with:
1. Skype to Skype calls : It dials some 404 number and gives me an error saying that the number is not available.
2. I cannot retrieve any voice messages left on Skype, I get the same 404 number and the same error message.
Skype to Phone calls quality is same as mobile calls.
Whom should I contact for my issue? Verizon or Skype?
-GGR
I get a 404 # as well but it connects me. However, I noticed my cell minutes are being used! I called verizon and they claim that skype to skype is no charge and only data. So far I see that I have some unbilled minutes and somehow using 14 minutes of skype to skype calling billed me 14 minutes on my cell #.
Can some please look into this? I have the Verizon BB tour 9360
@rajiv_gunja sorry to hear you’re having problems – you should get in touch with Verizon about this.
I’m pretty sure that the real reason why there’s no wi-fi support is because if people were able to use a Verizon device to make free calls, then Verizon wouldn’t be making a profit off of those calls. Thus, this is apparently the result of an agreement between the two companies where Skype has suddenly and severely limited the options available for mobile devices- presumably in exchange for financial favor from Verizon. In other words, Verizon was afraid of Skype as a competitor and instead of fighting them, befriended them in a win-win for both companies. Unfortunately, this turns out to be a win-lose for the consumer, but such is business. At any rate I’m really disappointed with both companies. I was planning on buying a DROID ERIS this summer for use on a trip to France, but there’s no reason to now since I won’t be able to use it for Skype. I’ve been with Verizon for years now, but the iphone looks better and better every day…
Seriously? without wifi this application is essentially useless for me. NOT useful for foreign travel without wifi!
Since I am not a Verizon customer, Skype teaming up with them left me in the lurch when it released Skypemobile. But after reading these comments , maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. If it uses your mobile minutes instead of actually being data like it is on the PC , what was the point? I enjoy using Skype on my pc and would love to be able to use it on my Cliq but not enough to switch to Verizon. Either release it to everyone and let it use WIFI/data or don’t bother.
Apparently, it doesn’t work over WiFi on a home computer network either. What?! Can’t get calls in or out. Skype for iPhone is a joke. Please Google, or some other competent provider, give us an application that can deliver on promises. I thought Skype had changed but have wasted hundreds on special features, calling Skype from other countries when it doesn’t work and finding that it may be weeks or months to get an answer. With the recent download and attempt to use it again, I find that everything old is new again. I will say that at least you are consistent. You may be the one organization that has avoided change for years now.
I don’t know where else to vent my frustration so I figured this was as good a venue as any to do it. Every benefit offered by Skype is rendered completely useless with this Android App. Limiting the application to Verizon was poor decision, but crippling the ability to make calls over WiFi is completely unacceptable! I don’t know if you realize this or not but your business is based on the ability to make phone calls over the internet. By disabling this feature you are disabling the service that is at the core of your business. My entire motivation, and I’m sure I’m not alone here, for getting Skype in the first place was to overcome the limitations of my cell phone. The agreement you made with Verizon once again subjects me to gaps in coverage, the inability to use my phone outside of the U.S., and paying excessively high fees for making voice calls.
What is even more frustrating is that you claim the reason Skype Lite was eliminated was because “we want to offer our new customers an improved mobile experience.” Call it what it is! You made an agreement with Verizon and canning Skype Lite was part of the deal. I don’t know what leverage Verizon used, or how much they paid you, but I hope for your sake that it is worth more than the number of customers you are alienating. I for one will be canceling my service at the completion of my subscription if these issues are not addressed.
Why no 3g service on iPad? When in the future do you plan to
address this problem? 5 years? never?
WHEN skype works it seems fine, I still do not understand why Verizon wants their users to NEVER use WiFi, since turning it on will disconnect you from Skype, This way I end up using 5-10GB of data over 3G because WiFi is not an option, thanks to Verizon/Skype… Idiots!
When I was on WiFi most of the time I would not even top 1GB on 3G… Why do they want users to suck down all this bandwidth when it could be offloaded?
Don’t try to tell me the B.S. that Android can’t do both 3G/WiFi because it can, I have streamed audio and sent/recv’d pix messages without interruption!!! So I do not buy what verizon falsely claims!
Skype sometimes will not receive calls, why? When someone calls Skype-2-Skype they get some message saying I’m not available even though im watching the phone, and Skype is logged in! so what is up with that “reliablity”?
Wow, you know, this is a really big missed opportunity here, guys. Here’s the thing, I currently use T-mobile, because there I can get a Blackberry with a feature called UMA. What that does is it allows me to make calls over WiFi. This is a pretty essential feature for me, because the apartment I live in now is made of steel reinforced concrete, and the cell reception here is basically non-existent. So having UMA means I can hook up a WiFi hot spot to my internet connection and people can actually call me. In fact, I pay T-mobile an extra $10 a month to get this capability. I’d really rather upgrade to a cool Android phone, and Verizon generally has better coverage, but it seems like Verizon won’t allow people to make calls over WiFi. So fine, how about this, get Verizon to offer WiFi calling over Skype if people pay an extra $10 a month or whatever. Ideally, you guys could work this out so that we’d only have to pay one of your two companies to get this. But look, this is a feature that adds value. If you don’t want to offer it free, fine, I get it, but please, find some way to charge money for it and offer it. You could get some new Verizon and Skype customers if you tried a little bit here. I’m not sure you could get it to work as easily as UMA does now, but hey, just being able to say ‘We offer calling over WiFi’ would be a big feature. Think about it guys, there’s money to be made here, and you could be making it. Figure it out.
To Skype:
Your partnership with Verizon has definitely allowed more people to look down on your service. Telling customers that if they wanted to use Skype, they would need to turn off their Wifi is absurd. Skype isn’t a service that we use 5 minutes a day and then close. It’s something we expect to leave on 24/7. Now, had the disabling of the WiFi been part of the Verizon deal to avoid customers from calling all their friends without using minutes, I would understand, but what about the Skypers that just want to chat? Keep it simple Skype. Using Skype for calls and for chat should be two separate ideas.
I just purchased my Droid and was very excited to get on Skype with it. I know many people on Verizon that don’t use Skype. I was going to tell them all about this service, but not anymore. Get an application upgrade. Do something. But I know for a fact that working against technology will not please any of your customers. I will now sign out of Skype, turn on my WiFi connection, and sign on to MSN Talk.
I hope this message gets read and considered.
Hey skype and verizon. I’d like WiFi support so I can still make and receive calls while I’m indoors, especially at work where our reinforced blast proof concrete and steel building blocks cellular communications. Also, this BS about battery life needs some hard figures … according to the android battery usage app, even when I’m streaming audio for hours over wifi, the 3g services still consumed more energy. When the phone has to transmit at full power due to weak towers, it actually makes the battery HOT – never a problem with wifi.
I’m sorry but while it’s a great idea to carry skype voice calls over 3G, it’s SILLY to not be able to do it over Wi-fi. I’m not talking about having wifi and 3g on at the same time, although that is another huge issue, I’m talking about the fact that I can’t travel to another contry and use skype instead of having to pay crazy fees to make regular cell phone calls. This is simply unacceptable and you guys are being very greedy here. There’s no practical reason why this cannot be implimented. If it’s a problem with android and both of these features (being able to turn wifi ON, and make calls over wifi only while out of the country), then please let us know that that’s the reason why and that this will be fixed. Otherwise, this is complete and utter crap.
So, I’m noticing every single comment on here screaming for wifi capabilty. I know we all agree that skype’s case against wifi-calls is utter crap and verizon should allow skype to utilize the wifi. But what we need to realize is Skype knows all about it, they understand how we feel and they wish they could do something about it. But what you skype users need to understand is VERIZON is the one to blame for this. We need to complain to the phone companies about the cellular Skype issues. Granted sometimes there might be a routing issue in the software, but if you’ll notice it isnt your Skype bills that are going up, its your phone bills. The extra money youre paying is to your respective phone company, Skype isnt getting a cut of that. Wouldn’t you think it was a deliberate ploy by the phone company? Normally I would agree that over all verizon has a pretty good setup- cool phones and awesome coverage for a great price. I understand that they are worried about losing money if people only buy the cheapest plans and dont use their minutes if they use wifi- ergo they may discover they dont even need unlimited data if they use a wifi instead of 3g. Maybe we should be complaining on VERIZON’s message board instead of skype, verizon seems to be the ones calling the shots. maybe if skype allowed wifi, then verizon wouldnt let them use the app at all? skype probly knows this is stupid and skype employees probly read most of the stuff that comes through here. How many verizon execs do you think come to the skype site? 1 or 2 if we are lucky? Complain to VERIZON, if they didnt want us to use wifi, why did they even include that functionality in the phone? Verizon’s better bet would have been to charge for the Skype app and get a 90% cut of the profit.
Admittedly, my service with verizon had been terminated so if I had been able to use the wifi on my phone to make calls…I can see how verizon wouldnt appreciate that.
Hello there,
I’ ve got a nokia 9700n bold..is possible skype dowload is not available on this yet???
Peter parker if you have a link please copy and paste! THANKS
Sending my Verizon phone back tomorrow. I asked the Verizon store rep point blank if I can use Skype over the wifi. Either he lied or was not informed, either way Verizon just lost a customer!
Ya, this is a bunch of crap. We aren’t stupid. Why don’t you just be truthful on the real reason wi-fi is disabled.
Not having wi-fi in addition to 3G is a pain in the ass. I love having skype open on my phone when at home, however i hate the slows speeds of the web. So now I have to choose. I feel like I am back on my iPhone when using Skype with being restricted and all.
So why doesn’t Skype give us the option to choose wi-fi or 3G. Isn’t that what Android is all about????? You are acting like Steve Jobs telling us what is best for us in using 3G.
Peter,
Congratulations you’ve managed to configure Skype to do exactly what the Verizon phone already did i.e. make calls on the Verizon network. The single most valuable function of Skype mobile has been removed, Wi-Fi connectivity. When I have been in a poor coverage area or traveling outside of the US Skype Mobile was an absolutely indispensable tool. It worked and it saved me money by using Skypeout over a Wi-Fi connection to call back to the US. Now I have absolutely no use for Skype mobile and I am currently evaluating Vonage’s mobile application to see if it will suit my needs.
Regards.
David
I downloaded this app and created an account solely because i was leaving the country and wanted an easy way to stay in touch. This app does not do that, despite the promises made. Yes, verizon has great coverage, but not outside the US. The real issue here is that verizon doesn’t want to lose money from minutes, so continues to charge through the data plan. Is there a way to access skype through wifi on a phone even without the app? As i would through a laptop?
This makes Skype worthless while travelling to countries where I do not have an unlimited data plan and want to call home. With my iPhone, I could connect to any WiFi and call home. Eliminating the ability to use Skype unless you are in the US with a 3G connection makes it unusable for this purpose. I will be taking my business elsewhere and am quite frustrated to be doing so (still have a balance outstanding that is basically worthless to me now).
What a load of crap. I like Skype because it works where Verizon DOES NOT! If I can’t use Skype over WiFi then it is totally useless to me and it means that I still need to carry my IPEVO Skype phone and my TrendNet travel wifi router (both great devices BTW). The Droid is an overpriced computer in a convenient form factor and that’s all. I paid for that computer and I shouldn’t need to subscribe to anything to continue to enjoy its use as such. My other computers enjoy unrestricted use of Skype (which I also incidentally pay for) why not my Droid? I buy your Skype product. I like it. I like it much better than my cell service. Quit trying to limit how can use it. It is NOT in your interest.
Fring used to do that…. Not anymore…
How about releasing a version of the Skype Mobil App that’s actually useful? And by useful, I mean it needs to work OVER WI-FI!!!!!! The only time I ever need skpe is when I don’t have access to Verizon’s network (I.e, in other countries when I depend on WIFI). This app is completely useless and now that you’ve killed support for Fring, I still need to make phone calls through my laptop when I’m traveling. I don’t understand how you couldn’t think this through. What exactly is the point for me to have a middle man when I actually have 3G service to make calls? None. What are your customers needs when they can’t access 3G? VOIP (that’s where you guys are supposed to come in).
The updated version that at least allows Skype to leave wifi enabled is a plus. I thank you for adding this much needed change. I will even accept the business arrangement between Skype and Verizon that forces voice calls on Verizon’s network. HOWEVER, my expensive beautiful Verizon droid becomes a telecom brick as soon as I leave North America. Would it be possible to PLEASE allow wifi operation when the phone detects it cannot connect to Verizon’s network? If there’s no CDMA available, wifi becomes the only alternative. This would allow the fine Verizon call quality
in the US while allowing the phone to at least be used when in Europe and much of Asia and South America.
And we KNOW this is possible because our buddies running Skype on their iPhone do not have this artificial limitation.
Please respect your customers and make this change.
For all you people that want Skype through wifi just go buy the Belkin WIFI phone and make your wifi calls on your Skype account. Obviously if you are waiting for some deal to be worked out with Verizon where they are going to be cut out of some money you could be waiting a long time.
Translation of above blog: if we allowed skype mobile to work with wifi, no one would pay international rates. They prevented it for the same reason I’m trying to use it. I’m in El Salvador at the moment trying to use this app to call home and obviously unable to. What verizon seems to forget is that I can’t get reception anywhere outside the US anyway and due to the lack of sim card I can’t go with that option either. this app is pretty much useless to me