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For example, if your email address is your Skype ID will be live:john_doe. If you sign up with your email address, your Skype ID will be “live:” + the local-part of the email address (the part of the email address before the sign).
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The system generates live IDs for Skype differently, based on what credentials you use to sign up. However, things have changed since Skype got acquired by Microsoft Skype Live IDs are now automatically generated by the system when signing up, and you can no longer change your live ID once it is created. Back when Skype was still a standalone company, users could specify their own usernames and customize it even after creating their account. A Skype ID is unique to each Skype account and identifies that account amongst the global collection of Skype accounts. Hence, you can think of it in the same context that you think of usernames on other apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Simply put, your Skype Live ID is your Skype username.
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