Skype is not working (Mac OS)

As Skype requires access to your speakers, camera, and microphone, and so do audio and video recording apps, maybe one of those apps causes Skype to crash. To check if this is the case, close the apps completely, and check if Skype would crash. This will help you discover which app is the culprit.

If you have such apps, update them to the latest version, and if that didn't help, uninstall them.

If you installed a program, and Skype started crashing, then restart your device before running Skype again.

This course of action will ensure that the operating system, and all the processes part of it, will be restarted.

If normal re-installation didn't help you to fix the crashing issues on your Mac, or you get a disk i/o error when trying to sign in, then reinstall Skype completely, by following the steps below:

1. Quit Skype;
2. From the Applications folder, drag the Skype to the trash;
3. If you want to keep your call history and chat, don't do this:
   -From the home folder go to Library/Application Support and drag the Skype folder to the trash;
4. Go to the Home folder -> Library -> Preferences and drag com.skype.skype.plist to the trash;
5. Search for Skype in Finder and move all the results to Trash;
6. Now, download and install the latest version of Skype.

Updating your computer's operating system version is a must, so as to ensure that the latest performance and compatibility updates, as well as bug fixes are applied to your computer. An outdated operating system version may be the reason why Skype crashes, too.

To update to the latest macOS version, feel free to follow the steps below:

1. Click on the Apple icon and select System Preferences;
2. Click on Software Update;
3. If an update is available, click on the update button to install it.

Maybe a malicious software (virus) found its way to your computer and affected Skype, among the other programs installed on your computer. If this is the case, all you need to do is to scan for, and remove the viruses, using an antivirus software.

Removing the virus, or an expensive antivirus software doesn't mean that one is safe. Aside from an antivirus installed, please make the following a standard practice:

• Don't visit websites with suspicious offers (e.g. expensive product sold cheaply);
• Update your antivirus software regularly;
• Update the programs installed on your computer;
• Don't open every email in your mailbox;
• Update your computer's operating system regularly.
  
  

To learn more about how to scan for and remove viruses, check out the viruses/spywares/malware solutions.

Maybe it's the antivirus software that causes Skype to crash. To test if this is the case, deactivate your antivirus software temporarily. If Skype didn't crash, reactivate the antivirus and reconfigure its settings.

Note: If you aren't sure how to reconfigure the settings of your antivirus software, feel free to check the help guides found in the help section of the antivirus itself, or on the antivirus provider's website.

If Skype on your Mac crashes when you try to open some contacts from the list, delete the cache folders, by following the steps below:

1. Close Skype.
2. Open Finder;
3. Select Go to the Folder from the Go menu;
4. Insert the following: 
   ~/Library/Application Support/Skype/yourskypeusername/media_messaging
   Replace yourskypeusername with your Skype username.
5. Delete emo_cache and media_cache folders;
6. Launch Skype again.

If Skype crashes soon after launching (signing in), then delete the SKFullTextIndex.invertedIndex file, by following the steps below:

1. Close Skype;
2. Open Finder;
3. Select Go to the Folder from Go menu;
4. Insert the following: 
   ~/Library/Application Support/Skype/yourskypeusername
   Replace yourskypeusername with your Skype username.
5. Drag SKFullTextIndex.invertedIndex to the Trash.
6. Launch Skype again.

If Skype won't open, it's possible that the disk permissions Skype has that are the culprit. To solve the problem, you will need to repair the disk permissions.

To repair the disk permissions, follow the steps below:

1. Open Finder from the Dock menu and go to Applications;
2. Open Utilities and in the left pane window select your primary hard drive;
3. Go to Fist Aid tab and click on Verify Disk Permissions and the diagnostic test will begin;
4. When it's finished, click Repair Disk Permissions to fix the issues;
5. After it completes, restart your Mac and open Skype.