How to unlink Skype and merge it with a different Microsoft account

Skype logo 780 wide

In case you accidentally merged your Skype profile with a Microsoft account that you didn’t intend to, don’t panic you only need to unlink Skype from the Microsoft account, and then sign-in once again in the Skype Windows 8-style app with the correct email address and everything will be OK.

Most likely it won’t be an issue, but you need to know that after you unlink Skype, you will no longer find contacts from the previous account in your profile.

Also keep in mind that if you’re a long time Skype user, your purchases won’t be affected, but if you created a new account with a Microsoft account, you may lose whatever Skype products you’ve purchased. If this is your case and you need to undo the merge between the two accounts, I would recommend you to contact the Skype customer support.

Previously I wrote about this merging account topic, but back then it was a bit complicated, because it involved to contact customer support. However, now it seems Microsoft has listened to users feedbacks and it’s providing an easy way to undo this problem for many.

Instructions

1. Sign-in to your Skype account.

2. In the Account Details, click the Account settings link.

3. There you’ll find a section called Linked accounts, click unlink to get rid-off the merge between the Microsoft account and your Skype profile.

unlink-microsoft-account-skype

Quick Tip: From this section, you can also unlink your Facebook account, if you’ve done that.

4. Read the warning and click Continue. This completes the unlinking part, now you need to merge it with the correct MS account. Keep reading to learn how.

Merging Skype with a different Microsoft account

As you know moving forward, you’re now required to merge a Microsoft account with the VoIP software. So to do that once again, go back to the Start screen in Windows 8 and launch Skype, because you’ve unlinked the account, the previous automatic sign-in credentials won’t work, therefore you need to do the following:

1. Click the I have a Skype account.

skype-account-merge-1-640_wide

2. Enter the your current Skype account credentials and click Sign in.

sign-in-skype-win8app-2-640_wide

3. Confirm the new merge by clicking the Continue button, and that’s pretty much all you have to do.

merge-accounts-3-640_wide

The process should be straightforward, but if you come across any issues, leave your comment below and also check the Skype customer support page.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].