Your conversation history is all the instant messages you’ve sent and received from your contacts or groups, as well as details of any calls that you have made or received over Skype.

The following questions and answers will help you find your history and show you what you can do with it.

How do I find my conversation history?
How do I search for something I’ve written in a conversation?
Where are my instant messages saved to?
Can I transfer my conversation history from one computer to another?
How do I mark conversations so I’ll remember to re-read them later?
How do I see several conversations next to each other?
How do I hide my conversation history?
How do I delete my conversation history?
How do I change my history settings?

How do I find my conversation history?

To view your conversation history:

1. Sign in to Skype.
2. In the Contact list or Recent list, simply click the contact or group you want to view the conversation history for and your conversation history is displayed.

The conversation list is divided by date, with the conversations that have been active most recently displayed at the top of the list. If the group or conversation does not appear in the Recent list, at the bottom of the Recent list click Show earlier messages to display a full list of group conversations.

If you are looking for a specific conversation, you can search for it using the search box under the Recent tab. Simply start typing the name of the conversation you are looking for and the search narrows down the possible matches. Click on a conversation to see all the instant messages that have been sent as part of that conversation. To resume any conversation, just send another instant message.

How do I search for something I’ve written in a conversation?

You can find something specific you’ve written or been sent in a conversation by searching for a word that was typed in that conversation. To do this:

1. Sign in to Skype.
2. Select the conversation you would like to search.
3. From the menu bar, select Conversation > Find or press Ctrl + F on the keyboard. A search box opens.
4. Type the word or words you are looking for. Press Enter or click the Next or Previous buttons to search the conversation.

Where are my instant messages saved to?

By default, the instant messages you send and receive are saved on your computer and you can view them at any time.

In Skype 5.0 or higher, instant messages are saved for 30 days after the message is sent. This means that if you send a message to a contact who is offline, the saved message will be delivered as soon as the recipient signs in.

For more information on how Skype manages personal data, please refer to the Skype Privacy Policy.

Can I transfer my conversation history from one computer to another?

Because instant messages are saved with Skype 5.0 or higher, if you sign in to Skype on a different computer, instant messages you have sent or received on one computer in the last 30 days are copied to the other, enabling you to automatically synchronise your chat history.

How do I mark conversations so I’ll remember to re-read them later?

To mark a conversation as unread, right-click on the conversation you would like to re-read later and selecting Mark as Unread. This places a notice beside the conversation, on the Recent tab and on the Skype icon on your tool bar, reminding you to read it later.

Read more about receiving instant messages.

How do I see several conversations next to each other?

You can open conversations in separate windows. To do this:

1. Sign in to Skype.
2. On the menu bar, select View then Compact View.

Now every time you select a conversation, it will open in a new window. Each window can be scaled and moved around your screen, which means you can organise them in a way that works best for you.

How do I hide my conversation history?

To hide a conversation from your Recent list, right-click the conversation and select Hide conversation.

Hiding a conversation won’t delete it from your conversation history. If you would like to show your hidden conversations in the Recent list:

1. Sign in to Skype.
2. From the menu bar, select View then Show hidden conversations.

This will return all your hidden conversations to the Recent list. If you receive a new instant message to one of your hidden conversations, this will also return it to the Recent list.

How do I delete my conversation history?

It is not possible to delete individual conversations on Skype. However, you can delete your entire conversation history. This removes your entire history, which includes:

• Instant messages
• Calls
• Voicemails
• SMS messages
• Sent and received files

When your conversation history has been deleted, it can’t be recovered.

To delete your conversation history:

1. Sign in to Skype.
2. In the menu bar, click Skype then Privacy…
3. Under Keep history for, click Clear history.

How do I change my history settings?

To change your history settings:

1. Sign in to Skype
2. From the menu bar, select Skype then Privacy...
3. Below Keep history for, click on the drop-down list and select the amount of time you would like your history to be saved for. You can select forever, three months, one month, two weeks or no history at all.
4. Click Save.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to delete individual conversations. You can delete individual instant messages you have sent by right-clicking on the message in question and selecting Remove Message. However, this option is only available for a few minutes after you send your message.