Where does Skype save its chat history & contacts?

I'm aware that there is a main.db file that is stored in a Windows directory. On XP:

C:\Documents and Settings\<windows user>\Application Data\Skype\<username>

But I just downloaded Skype onto my Android and noticed that all chats are sync'd. So to me, this suggests that the main.db file is not the only storage being used (because it is obviously not on my phone).

Are contacts and chat history stored in my online Skype account? Does anyone know where I can find more information about this? I read this thread: Does Skype automatically save chat history to the cloud?

And how do you explain the sync'd chats?

skype

user4796

Posted 2012-11-01T15:50:56.530

Reputation: 201

Answers

Yes, they do store you chat history in the cloud http://www.skype.com/intl/en/legal/privacy/general/#12

And in the old versions (not sure about the new ones), the chat only get synced when the other contact is online, i.e. at least one device with the original transcript and history must be online in order for it to be synchronised.

DragoonHP

Posted 2012-11-01T15:50:56.530

Reputation: 658

1From support.skype.com/en/faq/FA392/, "Your conversation history is stored on Skype's cloud for 30 days". It seems that any longer history is only saved on the computers involved in that conversation (and maybe synced peer-to-peer to other machines that you log in from). – AndrewS – 2015-08-10T15:36:34.397

Uhm, could you quote from that link why you believe they do? They only say they may store those things for two purposes but so far I haven't noticed that they sync when only one client is online on an account. – Joey – 2012-11-04T21:56:32.230

"Your instant messaging (IM), voicemail, and videomail content (collectively “messages”) may be stored by Skype (a) to convey and synchronize your messages and (b) to enable you to retrieve the messages and history where possible." – DragoonHP – 2012-11-04T22:01:33.837

“may be stored ...”. As noted, I haven't noticed anything of that. That they write such things in the privacy policy is hardly surprising, given that companies tend to keep options open. – Joey – 2012-11-04T22:03:21.290

Yes they do, but it also opens an option here that Skype might actually be storing your chat logs and syncing them across multiple device. And most of the time when companies say they might, they most probably do. – DragoonHP – 2012-11-04T22:09:27.157

Contacts are stored on Skype's servers, however history is (in my experience) only synced between clients. So you have to be online with another client (or the other person of a chat has to be online) for messages to be synced.

Joey

Posted 2012-11-01T15:50:56.530

Reputation: 36 381