Skype is one of the most popular communication applications in the world. It is cross-platform, available on Windows, Linux, and macOS. With Skype, you can make free online audio and video calls, and international calling to mobiles and landlines worldwide.

Skype is not an open-source application, and it is not included in the standard Ubuntu repositories.

This guide shows two ways of installing Skype on Ubuntu 20.04. Skype can be installed as a snap package via the Snapcraft store or as a deb package from the Skype repositories.

Choose the installation method that is most appropriate for your environment.

Installing Skype as a Snap Package #

Skype snap package is distributed and maintained by Microsoft.

Snaps are self-contained software packages that include the binary all dependencies needed to run the application. Snap packages are easy to upgrade and secure. Unlike the standard deb packages, snaps have a larger disk footprint and longer application startup time.

Snap packages can be installed from either the command-line or via the Ubuntu Software application.

To install the Skype snap, open your terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run the following command:

sudo snap install skype --classic

That’s it. You have installed Skype on your Ubuntu machine, and you can start using it.

If the command-line is not your thing, open Ubuntu Software, search for “Skype” and install the application:

Whenever a new version is released, the Skype package will be automatically updated in the background.

Installing Skype with apt #

Skype is available from the official Microsoft Apt repositories. To install it, follow the steps below:

1. Open your terminal and download the latest Skype .deb package using the following wget command:

   wget https://go.skype.com/skypeforlinux-64.deb

2. Once the download is complete, install Skype by running the following command as a user with sudo privileges:

   sudo apt install ./skypeforlinux-64.deb

   You will be prompted to enter your password.

During the installation process, the official Skype repository will be added to your system. When a new version is released, you can update the Skype package through your desktop standard Software Update tool or by running the following commands in your terminal:

sudo apt updatesudo apt upgrade

Starting Skype #

In the Activities search bar type “Skype” and click on the icon to launch the application.

When you start Skype for the first time, a window like the following will appear:

From here, you can sign in to Skype with your Microsoft Account and start chatting and talking with your friends and family.

Conclusion #

We’ve shown you how to install Skype on your Ubuntu 20.04 desktop.

Feel free to leave a comment below.