By default, Skype is configured to store your text-based chats in the cloud for a limited period (30 days) only. After that, it gets deleted. So, what do you do if you need to find something important in it? Microsoft has a solution for this. You can backup files and chat history of Skype. Here’s how to do it on a Windows 10 PC.
Backup Skype files and chat history to your PC
If you’d like to keep a longer archive of your chat history, do the following.
1] Visit Skype Export files & Chat History page to submit a request
Go to skype.com and sign-in with your Microsoft account.
Once you sign-in, choose what you want to download i.e
- Conversation
- Files
When done, hit the ‘Submit Request’ button visible there.
Instantly, you’ll see a message reading ‘Your export is being prepared’. Please check soon to download it’.
2] Download and read your chat history
When your request is complete, you’ll receive a notification on Skype with a link to view or download your file.
Proceed further and click the ‘Download’ button to download your files.
Here lies a catch! The chat history you chose to download is available as a TAR file, but the conversations are present as JSON file. As such, you’ll need a special tool to make them readable. Try Skype Parser Tool. Visit this skype.com to download it.
When downloaded, extract it, and inside it, you will find a file called ‘index.html’.
Open it in Chrome, Edge, or whichever browser you prefer.
Click the ‘Choose file’ button, and select the ‘messages.json’ file in the extracted chat history folder. Click ‘Load’.
The interface that opens will allow you to comfortably go through your chat history.
How do I copy all Skype conversations?
In order to copy all Skype conversations, you need to submit a request to back up them. As there is an official tool to export all conversations, there is no need to use third-party apps or services to get it done. Once you submit the request, it takes a few minutes to make the file ready. Following that, you can download it on your computer.
Are Skype chats saved on my computer?
Yes, Skype saves your files and chats on your computer temporarily. Although you cannot access them without a proper tool, it does save everything on the device you use it on. As per the official statement, videos longer than 100MB are stored for 30 days.
I hope you find the post useful.
