About Skymu (and frequently-asked questions)

We get a lot of questions, and we got a lot of answers. Learn all about it!

So, what is Skymu?

This is a question that we've had many different answers to over the period of the Skymu project. As of now, Skymu is a piece of software that is very interesting both on the outside and on the inside.

• Outside: Skymu tries to faitfully replicate multiple versions of the Skype user interface using a selectable theming system, like Skype 4, Skype 5, Skype 6, and Skype 7. It also adds its own flair, and we take creative liberty when adding user interface components that didn't exist in Skype (like servers).

• Inside: Skymu is a multi-platform client, that supports both protocols (e.g. Matrix) and entire services (e.g. Discord) via a modular plugin system, and anybody can create their own plugins for new protocols and services. In addition, Skymu uses a Skype-compatible format for its language files and user account history databases.

Is Skymu monetized?

No, Skymu has never been monetized and the project does not accept donations anymore. If you see anyone claiming they represent Skymu while asking for money, they are a fraud. Any donation pages you find are outdated and you should not contribute anything there.

Does Skymu profit off the community ads?

No, we don't make any money off of those and neither does anybody else (they're not that type of advertisement). They are submitted by the community for the use of the community, anyone can make a community advertisement and have it featured in Skymu as long as it meets certain quality standards and there is no fee to do so.

What platforms does Skymu run on?

Skymu natively supports Windows Vista and above. However, you can run Skymu Legacy on Windows XP via EAZY BLACK's custom Skymu wrapper, and you can run the standard Skymu on macOS and Linux using WINE. And no, we don't plan to add native support for any of these platforms as they are fundamentally incompatible with our architecture.

Is Skymu safe to use?

Skymu is free and open-source software, therefore you are free to review its code or build Skymu yourself, and the prebuilt client itself is absolutely safe if obtained from official sources. That said, even though Skymu is evidently not a malicious program, we have to make you aware that there is a risk of your account getting temporarily suspended, or you being forced to reset your password, if you use the Discord plugin. However, we have not witnessed any such cases and are not aware of any Discord accounts that have been restricted or banned because of Skymu.

Does Skymu collect or sell my data?

No, we do not retain or sell user data in any way, shape, or form. There is an opt-in (meaning you have to manually consent) feature that publishes connection data (such as the build of Skymu you're using, and your username) on Skymu's public user directory (https://skymu.app/users), but it is completely optional, free for anybody to view, and the data displayed there is never retained by us or any other service after you disconnect.