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Chatting with instant message

Are you ready to chat? On Skype, instant messaging—also known as IM—lets you send short messages to your contacts so you can chat back and forth in real time. IM is a great alternative to regular Skype calls if you want to ask someone a quick question or simply have a relaxed conversation without picking up the phone.

To IM someone on Skype:

1. Select the person you want to message on the Contacts tab.
   
2. The contact's information will appear. Type a message inside the message box, then click the Send button or press Enter on your keyboard.
   
3. The other person will receive the message and can reply if online. Your chat history will appear above the message box.
   

You can also IM someone during a call. This can be useful if you want to send a phone number, link, or anything else you would normally write down.

Receiving IMs

When someone sends you an IM on Skype, you'll see a notification in the Contacts tab, as in the example below. Simply click the notification or contact to start chatting.

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