# Remove Skype from Outlook.com permanently



## pentel (Sep 3, 2011)

Is there any way to remove Skype from Outlook.com permanently?

On the Outlook.com (web email, not to be confused with the desktop Outlook email client) header, I get a Skype icon as seen in screenshot below. Can that icon be removed?


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## gurutech (Apr 23, 2004)

If you are on Firefox or Chrome, I'm sure you could use the "Adblock Plus" add-on to remove it.


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## pentel (Sep 3, 2011)

It is not an ad so "Adblock Plus" will not remove it.

It seems like my Microsoft Account is associated with Skype and I cannot find a setting to delete/remove Skype from my Microsoft account permanently.

Doing the following "How do I unlink my Skype account from my Microsoft or Facebook accounts?" (link below) does not help, I can unlink Microsoft Account from Skype, but when I read open Outlook.com, that Skype would come on back.
https://support.skype.com/EN/faq/FA...ccount-from-my-microsoft-or-facebook-accounts

I called Skype Support and request them to close my Skype account, live_user, the Skype rep closed the Skype account, but when I login back to Outlook.com, Skype will automatically create a new Skype account, live_user1. I call Skype Support again and have them close live_user1, when I login back to Outlook.com, I will get a new Skype account, live_user2. And it goes on and on, keeps creating a Skype account I don't want.

This Skype component that is included in Outlook.com is a nuisance. Why does Microsoft wants to bother me with Skype when I'm reading email. Besides I don't use Skype or any other chat/VOIP software. I just want to check my email, that's all. They can have Skype elsewhere but not inside Outlook.com as seen in the screenshot. (Again this is web mail Outlook.com and not the desktop Outlook email client)

If there is no way to remove this Skype icon from the Outlook.com account, it may looks like I have to give up Outlook for a gmail account. At least I think in gmail, I can add/delete Google products at will.

Anyway, I'm hoping someone here will know how to remove Skype from Outlook.com permanently.


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## gurutech (Apr 23, 2004)

If it's just an icon, Adblock can "remove" it from being displayed. Just right-click on it and choose the "block image" option from the context menu.


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## pentel (Sep 3, 2011)

gurutech said:


> If it's just an icon, Adblock can "remove" it from being displayed. Just right-click on it and choose the "block image" option from the context menu.


It is not an icon. It is there when you login to Outlook.com. Microsoft has just forced me to use Skype on my other Outlook.com account. Upon loggin in, you will get the "Say Hello with Skype on Outlook.com" pop up with only one option, "Continue" - which means there is no option to say "no" to Skype (see screenshot). It looks like Microsoft is rolling out Skype to Outlook.com in stages, sooner or later, all Outlook.com users will have Skype.

Skype in Outlook.com is a nuisance and a real pain. Microsoft should not mix email with messenger/voip and should learn to respect consumer's right not to use a particular product.


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## TulsaRose (Jan 6, 2012)

Click your name on the upper right corner of the page, then select *Invisible*. That should stop the Skype icon from displaying. However, it won't eliminate the Skype or Messenger apps from being available. It's just part of using Outlook.com, Live Mail, Hotmail, etc.


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## pentel (Sep 3, 2011)

TulsaRose said:


> Click your name on the upper right corner of the page, then select *Invisible*. That should stop the Skype icon from displaying. However, it won't eliminate the Skype or Messenger apps from being available. It's just part of using Outlook.com, Live Mail, Hotmail, etc.


Switching to Invisible will not *stop *Skype icon from displaying. Besides, Outlook.com has a hard time remembering the last setting, a lot of times, it will change to Available even though the last setting was Invisible.

Not all Outlook.com accounts has Skype linked to it. But Microsoft may be forcing Outlook.com users to have Skype linked to their Outlook.com accounts down the road.


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