Skype repeatedly signing you out – either on every restart, after being idle, or randomly during use – usually has one of a few specific causes. Here’s the fix process.
Fix 1: Check the “Keep me signed in” setting
When signing in to Skype, there’s a “Keep me signed in” checkbox that must be checked to persist your session. If it’s unchecked, Skype signs out when the app closes or when the session expires.
Sign out, then sign back in and explicitly check “Keep me signed in” before clicking Sign in.
Fix 2: Check Windows sign-in settings
Windows has a setting that can force apps to sign out on restart. Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > “Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up after an update” – ensure this is enabled.
Also check: Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > “Require sign-in” – if this is set to “Every time,” Windows clears app sessions on every unlock, which can affect Skype.
Fix 3: Clear Skype’s saved credentials
Windows Credential Manager stores Skype’s authentication tokens. Corrupted credentials cause repeated sign-out loops.
Control Panel > Credential Manager > Windows Credentials > look for any Skype or Microsoft entries > remove them. Then sign back into Skype and check “Keep me signed in.”
Fix 4: Reinstall Skype
A corrupted Skype installation can lose its session persistence. Uninstall Skype via Settings > Apps, delete any remaining folders in %AppData%\Microsoft\Skype, then reinstall from skype.com.
Fix 5: Check for account security alerts
If Skype is signing you out repeatedly without other explanation, check your Microsoft account security (account.microsoft.com > Security) for unusual sign-in activity. A security alert or suspicious access detection can trigger forced sign-outs as a protective measure.
Fix 6: Consider Microsoft Teams
Microsoft has significantly reduced investment in Skype in favor of Teams. Many features and reliability improvements go to Teams first. If Skype instability is ongoing, Teams is the actively maintained alternative for most use cases.