Skype adds Call ID for United States users

by Brad Linder Jun 6th 2008

VoIP provider Skype lets you make PC to PC calls or make calls from your computer to a telephone. But if you live in the US, up until now when you made a call from Skype to a telephone, ther person you were calling wouldn't see your number on the caller ID. They's see some random string of numbers like 000123456.

Skype has now added a Caller ID option that will let you use your SkypeIn phone number or your cellphone number for Caller ID purposes. To activate the feature, just log into your account through the Skype web site, and select Caller ID from the Account menu. If you have a SkypeIn number to receive phone calls, that will automatically be selected as your new ID. If you'd rather use your mobile phone number, just enter the number and Skype will send you an SMS with an activation code. Note that it could take up to 24 hours before the changes take effect.

If you have multiple SkypeIn numbers with different area or country codes, you can also select an option that will automatically display a number that's local to the call destination when available.

Skype has offered a similar Caller ID feature for European customers for a while now.

[via Skype Journal]

Tags: caller-id, skype, skype-caller-id, voip

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Tari Akpodiete said 2:43PM on 6-06-2008

When one uses the term 'North America' correctly, it means Canada AND the United States. So far, we Canadians can't even get a skype number with a Canadian area code, and we're been asking for years.

Brad Linder said 2:43PM on 6-06-2008

Sorry about that. I was going by what Skype Journal had said. I'll amend the post.

Tari Akpodiete said 2:56PM on 6-06-2008

Well, Brad, I guess that if a Canadian were to use an American Skype number, for example I live in Toronto (416/905) and I could sign up for a Buffalo area code or some such border city, they could have this new service too, but I'd be paying for long distance costs and so would people calling me. It's pretty annoying that there aren't any Canadian area codes. It's the ONLY reason I don't have a Skype-in number yet.

Still, I did recently grab the great deal for unlimited calling to any landline or mobile phone in Canada or the States. $2.95 a month for up to 10 000 minutes a month. Signed up for a full year and saved 33%. Caveat: I'll have to watch carefully next year if I don't want to go ahead and repeat with the deal as they have negative option billing on it.

Quat said 11:02PM on 7-05-2008

"But if you live in the US, up until now when you made a call from Skype to a telephone, ther person you were calling wouldn't see your number on the caller ID. They's see some random string of numbers like 000123456.

Skype has now added a Caller ID option that will let you use your SkypeIn phone number or your cellphone number for Caller ID purposes."

I use the Skype's service in the States. What you said is simply not true. I just tried it!

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