# Skyping on Fire HD 7



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

docmama28 said:


> I'm still trying to figure out how to skype (never done it before ). What i'd like to know is how to skype between 2 fire hd's. From what I've been able to glean from many google searches is that I need to make a video call, but there doesnt seem to be that option avaialble in the skype app. Also, having trouble with the Whyspersync when i read. The page is so sensitive that even the slightest touch will turn it, then when I return to the page I was on, the recording automatically starts over at the top of the page.
> A couple of other isues:
> * Does anyone else have a hard rime firnding the on/off switch? It sits so flush with the surface that it's a bit hard to locate without taking a long close look
> * The hdmi out port is right next to the micro USB, not really an issue for me but for.my 80 year-old mother in law it (along with the on/off switch) are proving to be a problem


docmama, did you have the previous Fire? I find the same thing about it, sometimes I don't feel the on/off button right away.

To Skype between two devices on the iPad, you need to have the other person's userid on Skype. I would think the two Fires would work the same way. Let me look at my iPad app to see if I can make any suggestions.

On my iPad app, there is a "plus" that would allow me to add a contact who is registered with Skype. Once I click on the plus, I cn do a search for person I'm looking for.

So, for example, if you wanted to skype with your mother-in-law, you could enter her name and see if she comes up. On the iPad version, the username comes up below the name. I suppose you could search for the actual username, too. (Yep, just checked, you can search for username. So find out the username of your mother-in-law or other person you want to Skype with.)

You can also use Skype to call regular phone numbers, of course, those won't be video calls.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I tried to set up a skype account. . .but it wouldn't take my phone number for some reason . . .kept wanting a country code .  So I put in "1" which is I think the one for the US but it didn't work. . Maybe I'll try setting up an account from my computer and then logging in on the Fire.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I tried to set up a skype account. . .but it wouldn't take my phone number for some reason . . .kept wanting a country code . So I put in "1" which is I think the one for the US but it didn't work. . Maybe I'll try setting up an account from my computer and then logging in on the Fire.


I don't think I had to put a phone number in my Skype account...maybe they've changed it..

Betsy


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## docmama28 (Mar 6, 2010)

The phone number issue was one thing I was able to figure out:  for US numbers you have to put 
+ then 1 then area code and number.

Betsy, I did a contact search and was able to locate my mother in law's account.  We've both been added to 
each other's contact list.  Now I can't figure out how to make a call!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I just registered on line via this computer. . . it does want a phone number. . . .I think that was one of the things it wouldn't let me past without filling in.

I have now been able to sign in on the HD7. . . . .



docmama28 said:


> The phone number issue was one thing I was able to figure out: for US numbers you have to put
> + then 1 then area code and number.
> 
> Betsy, I did a contact search and was able to locate my mother in law's account. We've both been added to
> each other's contact list. Now I can't figure out how to make a call!


One wonders why it wants a "+"  Anyway, it's done.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

docmama28 said:


> The phone number issue was one thing I was able to figure out: for US numbers you have to put
> + then 1 then area code and number.
> 
> Betsy, I did a contact search and was able to locate my mother in law's account. We've both been added to
> each other's contact list. Now I can't figure out how to make a call!


On the iPad app, you just tap on the name in your contact list and it should give you the option to make a voice call or video call. From my iPad, I can only make voice calls as there is no camera in mine.

Betsy


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## docmama28 (Mar 6, 2010)

Thank you Betsy!  I was finally able to get it to work, and it looks great!


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I just registered on line via this computer. . . it does want a phone number. . . .I think that was one of the things it wouldn't let me past without filling in.
> 
> I have now been able to sign in on the HD7. . . . .
> 
> One wonders why it wants a "+"  Anyway, it's done.


The '+' is the internationally recognised way of writing an international phone number. Anyone calling you who has to use the the US country code of '1' would be someone outside the US and they would substitute for the '+' whatever code their country uses to get onto the international phone network. In the UK it's 00. If I gave you my phone number it would start +44 (0)121 etc. which would tell you it's a UK number ( the '44') so you would know to put 011 in place of the '+', 011 being the code you have to dial in the US at the start of a non US number. The '0' in parentheses would tell you to leave it out if dialling internationally but to keep it in if dialling in the UK!

When I put numbers into my phone, I always put the full international code in, including the '+', which the phone recognises, so that if I holiday abroad, I don't have to re-enter all my numbers in case I call anyone back in the UK.

My excuse for knowing all this is that I once worked on a telephone switchboard ... /geek.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

That's actually very informative.  Here we just think in terms of, usually, 10 digits.  But I did know that 1 is the US international code. . . .calling long distance in the US still often requires a 1. . . .but what is defined as long distance seems to be changing with the use of cell phones.

And when we lived in the UK, we knew to tell my parents to use the 011 44 in front of our UK number. . . but I didn't realize the "+" is used as a sort of place holder. . . . we actually almost never called the US from the UK because it was much cheaper for them to call us.

Interesting.


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## TraceyC/FL (Mar 23, 2011)

Linjeakel said:


> ...snip... so that if I holiday abroad, I don't have to re-enter all my numbers in case I call anyone back in the UK.


Thinks to herself, if I start doing this maybe I can then holiday abroad

Ok, maybe I can then just holiday!! 

(it's been like 10 years since I went on a vacation - I will not count flying back "home" to visit in-laws a vacation)


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

TraceyC/FL said:


> Thinks to herself, if I start doing this maybe I can then holiday abroad
> 
> Ok, maybe I can then just holiday!!
> 
> (it's been like 10 years since I went on a vacation - I will not count flying back "home" to visit in-laws a vacation)


LOL - to be fair, it's been years since I had a holiday too, never mind one abroad, but old habits die hard!

I guess though that, living in a very small country, we are much more likely to holiday abroad, than someone living in the US.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

from living in japan for 3 years, I know if anyone wanted to call us, they had to use 011-81-9889- and then something that got base operator for the base you wanted... military overseas phone numbers were the worst.. We've been home for 13 years, and I still have that prefix memorized.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

When I look back to when I was stationed in Scotland and my husband was stationed in North Carolina... I think of all of our phone bills and just cringe.. I REALLY wish we had Skype back then.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I wish I could get my mom in Germany hooked up to some kind of technology. She had a computer, once years ago, but the internet was a bit high and not unlimited. So her grandkids would run the bill up. Now she has nothing. They do live in the middle of almost nowhere. Surrounded by the enchanted forests of the fairytales in Bavaria.  . I grew up there, nice, but a bit out of the way for everything. 

Skype would be great in this case. She hasn't seen me in 17 years and I think I only send one picture like 14 years ago.


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## strether (Dec 15, 2008)

I'd be interested in hearing from someone who's used the Skype program on the Fire.  My sister and I, who live on opposite coasts of the US, finally were able to talk today.  I had more trouble adding her as a contact than I thought I should, but finally we were successful.  Picture wasn't great, but not bad for free.  Conversation was nearly as good as a regular phone.  I, perhaps naively, thought that when you were receiving a call, that somehow you'd get an audible ring, or tone, whereupon you could turn on the Fire and get connected.  But with Skype open, I get a barely audible electronic tone.  If I wasn't simultaneously seeing a message on the screen saying I had an incoming call, I probably wouldn't have noticed the tone at all, and my hearing is excellent.

Can anyone else confirm my experience that you have to have Skype open before you'd know you were receiving a call?  On my sister's end, she's using her laptop and she says she can hear her Skype tone clearly, though she admits it's nothing like as audible as her regular phone.

I'm just wondering if in order to receive a call, I need to have advance warning as to time and day.

Jim


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Yes, I'm pretty sure that you have to have Skype open on a mobile device. It's been awhile, but I think on a PC, you could have it in the system tray (don't hold me to that), but otherwise, you need to set up a time.

Betsy


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

On a PC you have to have Skype open, but you can have it reduced to the system tray. Normally you'd have it set to do that automatically when you switch the PC on, so you don't have to remember or think about it and then, so long as your speakers are on and turned up, you hear the incoming call - it's actually very loud when you have external speakers.

On a mobile device I think you'd have to have it 'active'. On my phone, some applications stay active, even when you close them - you can see that they're still active in the 'task manager'. Presumably that's how Skype would work on a mobile device.

Now, if only I didn't have to wait for 25th October to get my Fire, I could try it out .......


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I noticed when I logged into Skype so the Fire would know me and then I said, 'o.k. but not doing it now' I did not LOG out:  So I have Skype showing as 'offline'.  I assume that means if someone 'calls' me I'll get the notification.  If anyone would like to I made my Skype name AnnVonHagel. . . .Real original, I know.

What does confuse me is that the phone number it has for me is my mobile. . .but that's not associated with the Fire at all. If someone calls it, I'm going to get the call on the phone -- though I have Skype there to, but it's not active . . . I've never logged in there.

Can you tell I don't really use skype much?   Like -- I never have.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I noticed when I logged into Skype so the Fire would know me and then I said, 'o.k. but not doing it now' I did not LOG out: So I have Skype showing as 'offline'. I assume that means if someone 'calls' me I'll get the notification. If anyone would like to I made my Skype name AnnVonHagel. . . .Real original, I know.
> 
> What does confuse me is that the phone number it has for me is my mobile. . .but that's not associated with the Fire at all. If someone calls it, I'm going to get the call on the phone -- though I have Skype there to, but it's not active . . . I've never logged in there.
> 
> Can you tell I don't really use skype much?  Like -- I never have.


We could try a voice only iPad to Fire Skype in a bit....(after Fred wakes up...)

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm here at my desk. . . . .for the next little while anyway.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Are you there now?  I just tried....

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I am. . . . it says Skype offline

Its "online" now. . . . . .


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I didn't actually add you to my contacts the first time, now I have and Skype sent you a message asking you to accept me as a contact... 

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

'kay. . . .I just did that
calling


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

OK, that was pretty cool.  Ann called me, using her Fire to my iPad.  I don't have a camera on my original iPad, but her video transmitted to me.  When I called her, making a voice call, I only heard her voice and she couldn't turn the video on from her end.  I guess, because I picked "voice call," Skype managed it that way.  When Ann called me, I'm guessing she made a video call, so my Skype accepted the video, which, of course, I could display....

Picture quality was good--a little laggy initially in the connection but then it settled down.  I was on KindleBoards when the call came in and my notification popped up.

Betsy


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## strether (Dec 15, 2008)

A further thought on the notification problem.  What would happen if you opened Skype on your computer and left it in the system tray and if you got a sound notifying you that you had a call, you picked it up on your Fire?  Is that possible?  I have Skype installed on my computer, though I don't have a camera on my monitor.

Jim


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## strether (Dec 15, 2008)

Well, keeping my fingers crossed, I tried it.  No problem hearing the Skype signal on the computer, which comes through loud and clear.  Interestingly, when my sister tried to call me, my Fire turned itself on and the Skype program was on the screen.  Still had to do the swipe to open the Fire, but then the whole Skype program froze.  It was completely unresponsive.  So I uninstalled the program and reinstalled it and we tried again.  Fire turned on again when the call came in, did the swipe, and this time was able to activate the Skype program and talk with normal video and audio.

Not sure if this was the difference, but the first time, the one that caused the freeze, I had turned the Fire off with the Skype program on the screen.  Just saying, not knowing if this had anything to do with the problem.

No idea why the Fire now comes on when the call comes, because it certainly didn't do that yesterday when I tried the program.  Only difference between the two days was that I activated the Skype program on my computer and had it open in my system tray.

Jim


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## strether (Dec 15, 2008)

Well, there are developments in the Skype program since I last wrote.  It appears that the app was updated in the last few days.  When I tried yesterday to place a call using the Contacts button, no contact showed up; instead the program referred me to a nonexistent address list.  I finally blundered into a solution to the problem:  if you signed out of Skype on the Fire, and then signed in again, which required that you put your password in again, suddenly your contacts showed up.  Placing a call then, no problem.

However, I discovered today, that if you have the Skype program open on your computer so as to get an audible signal you're receiving a call, the Fire will not allow you to pick up the call.  If you close the computer program completely, when you have an incoming call, your Fire will turn on and you can then access your call.  But how to know you're getting a call; aye, there's the rub.  If there's any way of making the app give you an audible signal when you have a call, I haven't discovered it.  If someone else figures out how to do this, I'd appreciate knowing.

Seems to me the program is of minimal use if you have to have the Fire within reach and the cover open so you can see the screen turn on when you're receiving a call.

Jim


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Thanks for all the info on what you've tried!  Wish I had my Fire 4G so I could try it!

Betsy


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## strether (Dec 15, 2008)

It may well be that I'll have to wait for more people to get their hands on the new Fire before a solution is found.  And also, my brother-in-law insists he saw something on line to the effect that there were problems with Skype for Kindle and they were working on it.  I haven't been able to location anything that specific.

Amusingly, in the settings menu for the Kindle Skype, there's a check mark in the box for "Set to vibrate".  I wonder if they visualize it being carried in your pocket so you'll know there's a call?

Jim

Jim


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

strether said:


> It may well be that I'll have to wait for more people to get their hands on the new Fire before a solution is found. And also, my brother-in-law insists he saw something on line to the effect that there were problems with Skype for Kindle and they were working on it. I haven't been able to location anything that specific.
> 
> Amusingly, in the settings menu for the Kindle Skype, there's a check mark in the box for "Set to vibrate". I wonder if they visualize it being carried in your pocket so you'll know there's a call?
> 
> ...


I think that's a standard Skype option.


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## strether (Dec 15, 2008)

I had posted the problem in the Kindle Support Forum and the moderator supplied me with a link for Skype support.  So I spent some time with a Skype rep on an on-line chat, the conclusion to which was it was a Kindle problem, not a Skype problem; that if I changed a setting on the Kindle, I would receive the signal that I had an incoming call.

I forwarded this info to the Kindle Support moderator, and he said he was sending my information to the Kindle team and he'd report back.

Guess he did, because I've now received two calls from the Kindle folks up in Washington, asking about my experience.  They've now said they'd going to hand it over to their engineers to either deal with it themselves, or get involved with Skype to resolve the problem.

So nice when places of business pay attention.  Let's hope a solution arrives.

Jim


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