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No—not in current consumer Skype. Microsoft retired Skype for consumers on May 5, 2025, so there is no current Windows 11 Skype setting to enable unattended call answering or automatic webcam activation. Microsoft’s consumer replacement, Teams Free, lets you choose Accept with video, but you must accept the call yourself.

Why the old Skype instructions no longer work

Consumer Skype was retired on May 5, 2025. Microsoft directed users to Teams Free; Skype for Business is a separate product and was not included in the consumer retirement. Microsoft’s retirement notice explains the distinction.

Older tutorials may show options such as “Tools > Options,” automatically answering calls, or enabling incoming video. Those paths may describe a legacy Skype version, Skype for Business, or another platform. Microsoft’s current Skype audio and video settings documentation covers devices and call audio, but does not document a consumer auto-answer or automatic-video setting. A camera permission change in Windows makes the camera available to an app; it does not make the app answer calls.

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Move from Skype to Teams Free

Microsoft identifies Teams Free as the consumer migration path. Its retirement guidance says users can sign in with their Skype credentials and that contacts and chats transfer automatically. That statement does not promise that every item, such as call history, media, or phone-number details, transfers.

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  1. Install or open Microsoft Teams, then sign in with the Microsoft account associated with Skype.
  2. Review the contacts and chats available in Teams. For product and account details, see Microsoft’s Teams Free introduction and Skype retirement questions.
  3. Open Chat, select a conversation, then select Video call at the top to place a video call. Microsoft’s Teams Free calling instructions also describe audio calls and group calls.

Accept an incoming Teams call with video

When a call notification appears, choose Accept with video to answer with your camera, Accept with audio to answer without sending your video, or decline the call. These are deliberate choices: the recipient must accept the call. Microsoft’s call-answering instructions describe the controls.

For Teams Free on desktop, Microsoft lists Ctrl+Shift+A as the shortcut to accept a video call; for the web version, it lists Alt+Shift+A. See the Teams Free keyboard-shortcut list. These shortcuts still accept a call; they do not configure unattended answering.

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Make sure the camera and microphone work

If Teams offers audio but video is unavailable, or the wrong camera is selected, check the devices before troubleshooting the call workflow. Microsoft’s Teams Free device settings explain selecting a camera and microphone and previewing video.

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  1. In Teams, open device settings and select the intended camera and microphone. Use the camera preview to confirm the picture.
  2. In Windows 11, check Settings > Privacy & security > Camera and allow camera access for the relevant app. The exact app permission shown can vary depending on whether you use the desktop app or web version.
  3. Close other apps that may be using the webcam. Check for a physical privacy shutter, a camera-disable function key, or security software that blocks camera access.
  4. Test speakers and microphone separately, then update Teams and Windows if the devices still do not work.

Incoming video and your outgoing camera are separate: your camera controls what others see from you, not whether you can see the caller. Fixing device access makes video available for a call you start or manually accept; it does not turn on auto-answer.

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If you genuinely need unattended answering

Teams Free’s consumer calling workflow documents notification-based, manual acceptance—not unattended auto-answer. Manual acceptance also helps prevent an unexpected caller from activating your camera and exposing your room. If you need a room or device to answer without someone present, look for a purpose-built intercom or conference-room system, an accessibility-oriented setup, or a managed business telephony deployment. Confirm the exact answering behavior with the provider or administrator: a business Teams account or a new device does not, by itself, establish that auto-answer is available or appropriate.

If you mean calls to a Skype Number

Calls to a Skype Number are different from Skype-to-Skype video calls. Microsoft says eligible users who retain access to the Skype Dial Pad can use it through the Skype web portal or Teams Free. The web portal requires the browser to remain open to receive alerts; Teams Free can provide push notifications for eligible incoming calls. Availability depends on account eligibility. Check Microsoft’s retirement questions and Skype Dial Pad instructions in Teams Free for current details.

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Microsoft says legacy services including SMS, call forwarding, voicemail, Skype Credit gifting, and Caller ID setup ended on May 5, 2025. It also says the 60-minute Skype calling benefit in Microsoft 365 Personal and Family was removed beginning in March 2026. These changes concern Skype telephony features, not the manual video-answer controls in Teams.

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Which product are you using?

Skype for Business and Teams work or school accounts are not the same as consumer Skype or Teams Free. Organizations may manage calling policies, telephony, and room devices differently, so check with the administrator for supported behavior in that deployment. Do not apply consumer Teams instructions—or old Skype for Business guidance—to a different account type without checking its documentation. Microsoft maintains separate Teams Free information and work and school calling guidance.

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