I learned that the Skype for iPhone app is unavailable to our Canadian friends across the border in the Apple iTunes App Store. I contacted Skype for comment and their representative told me, "There are some patent-licensing issues which prevent us from offering it there." I then asked if other countries were affected or if it was just Canada and was informed it was just Canada. When asked whose patent it was or what category it involved (i.e. mobile VoIP), the representative told me, "I can't go into many more details other than it's codec related."
Sounds to me like their was some sort of patent settlement which Skype can't talk about. Sorry my Canadian brothers. "No Skype for iPhone for you!" 
Update: 12:45pm
There is a workaround to get Skype for iPhone working in Canada. What you have to do is create another iTunes App Store account without a credit card. Without a credit card and address verification, there's no way for Apple to know where you live.
Here's the steps you need to do:
- Pick your country from the pop-up menu at the bottom of the iTunes Store homepage.
- If your country also has an iTunes Store, you'll need to navigate to the App Store by clicking on the "App Store" link from the menu on the left. If not, proceed to step 3.
- Important: Before proceeding to the next step you must purchase a free application by clicking 'Get App'.
- Click create new account.
- Click Continue.
- You'll need to read and agree to the iTunes terms and conditions, make sure you check the box next to where it says "I have read and agree to the iTunes Terms and Conditions." Click Continue.
- Enter in your email address, create your password, continue to create and answer your security question, then enter your birthday. Click Continue.
- Select None as the payment option.
- Continue to fill out the required name and address fields.
- You'll then see a screen that says 'Verify your Account'. Click Done and then check your email for a verification email from "iTunes Store."
- Open the mail, and click on the phobos link enclosed in the email to activate your account.
- Once you click on the link, iTunes should then prompt you to sign in with your account name and password.
- You'll then see a "Congratulations" screen. Click Done to be taken to the App Store home page
H/T to Andrew Hansen who posted a comment to my Facebook.
Also, check out this related story:
Skype over 3G on iPhone
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Just installed Skype on my canadian iPhone (Fido, Quebec).
Easy and no hack (well, just a bit) required. All you need is a US AppStore account. The tricky part is that normally a US credit card is required to create an AppStore account but this can be easylly bypassed.
Here is my recipe :
- switch the iTunes to USA (at the bottom of the home page of iTune app store you can sitch store location)
- apply some coupon code (you can get one here = http://www.tunecore.com/freealbum )
- redeem it (in the Quick links section of the app store home page, upper right)
- only THEN register for an account -- it won't ask you for any credit card information and you can use a bogus address (Beverly Hills, LA, 90210...).
- search for Skype, download it and sync you iPhone!
Voilà and enjoy!
Is there any problems syncing afterwards with my iPhone with multiple iTunes accounts? Will iTunes delete any apps I already have on my iPhone?
Jim, no the iTunes will not erase any other apps you have for the other account.
The iTunes (on Mac) would not let me sync the Skype app to the iPhone, saying it is not authorized on this computer.
However, if you sync your phone while logged in to your US account, the iPhone's App Store app gets the new account info as well.
You can then download the app directly from the iPhone.
Once you do that, log out of your US account and log in to your Canadian one.
Change your sync options for your applications in iTunes and uncheck the Skype app, so you are not bothered with the error message any more.
Sync again, and your iPhone will start using your canadian account for AppStore on the phone (it basically uses the account you last logged in on your computer before you synched).
And all is well after that.
Thanks so much for this.
It works perfectly as is - no need to do anything other than set up new US account with no payment info. Nothing else required. It really was that easy. And didn't affect syncing or other apps. Finally I can get rid of Fring...
It works! I signed out of my existing iTunes account, switched to US store, redeemed the GTA "Coupon", created a phony account, downloaded the Skype app. Singed out of the new account, signed in again to my normal Canadian account, and voila the app was in my "Apps" folder.
Sync, bob's your uncle, there it is on my phone with no problems!!!!
I have it installed on my 3G iPhone no problem, however when I go to buy credits or subscription, it sends me to some stupid taiwanese website for skype. I changed the language to english (button at bottom of page), then leads me to some other page where I can't buy anything ?!?!
how the heck can I get this to work ???? help !!
i keep getting a nasty "no network connection" error when i try to sign into skype on my iphone (i did the USA itunes store work around -- i live in canada). do you know if this is related to the program using my ip or something to block me from connecting because i am in canada? i only ask this because i most definitely have a network connection because i can access all of my other internet related apps... any suggestions would be wonderful!
Come on, this is really unbelievable, to be the only country where it doesn't work. Do we really have to do all these bypasses to have it working? I feel like it's something illegal ... patents can be sometimes pretty annoying...
I am in Japan (but have a Cdn iTunes acct) where mobile call rates are a total rip off. You (and Skype) have just saved me about $100 a month!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
what am I missing ? it won't let me choose no payment method when I try to register anew for the US store... :-/
thanks
I changed to the US store and made a new account and all. I was able to search for Skype, download it, and sync it. But on my phone when i click Skype i get to the log in page and everytime i press the User or Password box, Skype just crashes and back to the homescreen. I can click create and account, but I already have one and it wont let me type in the log in info.
looks like they've taken out the 'none' as the payment option. I can't register without providing some sort of payment. Even using paypal prevents you from setting up a US account.
is anyone else having this issue?
Normally, you can not create US store account without US credit card. However, if you find a free album offer or coupon online, you can redeem it and create US account that way. When you redeem free stuff you do get the "None" for payment option.
Another thing to try is to download a free app like "Apple Remote" and in the process create US account. This should also allow you to use None payment option.
I was able to download (thx!) but it turns out rogers has blocked the ability to make calls over 3G!
I get a pop up when making a call saying your provider has restricted access for voice calls over data networks
I think calling over wifi works
Got to love rogers!
I've had a US Account for a while....in fact, I wish I was living and working in the US, but that's another matter
What I don't like about this Skype it lags quite a bit. It could be the Skype network or more likely the CPU on the iPhone.
For us in Canada, I wonder how much bandwidth or data talking on Skype uses? I don't think many of us would want to pay any more $ to Rogers who already are charging us a fortune for their Data plan, especially since they done away with the 6G/$30 option.
Thanks for this trick. It worked perfectly and even allowed me to use 2 iTunes gift cards I had won that were only valid in the US. This got me skype and 20 bucks worth of music and apps!
The us trick worked fine and I just tested my Iphone over the house wifi and it worked great and had an excellent quality. This app will be very useful!
Yah the method with the GTA code worked great and gives me some freedom to check out the other apps they've been holding out on us. Thanks. I've got the ipod touch 2nd gen on wifi and the app itself seems a little buggy still, so I'm wondering if its updated and I check for updates if I need to still be in the US store.
If you're finding some of your apps are 'crashing', ie. loading but then returning to the home screen. This is a sign that the application is checking what ID was synched to the iPod/iPhone last and found it doesn't match with the ID that the application is registered to.
I wish there was a way to edit the AppleID that the app is registered to.
This is not a patent or codec/coding issue. That is the excuse they have come up with. Come on people... Rogers is worried you will Skype rather than pay their expensive iPhone plans.
I've sent a complaint to the CRTC about it. Rogers is censoring what content and programs I can use, even when using the iPhone on a wifi connection that is off their network.
Welcome to telecom in Canada.
I was getting this error in iTunes :
"you are not authorized for it in this computer"
Then I was missing the 'None' option.
Figured out I wasn't reading instructions well. Was trying to do this too fast since was too excited. I had to click on the top app from the "Top Free App" section or any free app FIRST.
Basically when you create an account straight from the log on box/when you purchase some music, you will be missing the "None" option. so don't do it. Follow the instructions above to the letter!
hope this helps other iPhone peeps!
Heard someone was getting this error:
"The email address you entered is already being used for an Apple Account. If it is yours, you can cancel and sign in using that Apple Account"
Apparently, he had to register under a different email account. Though I'd share the tip.
Note that FF / gmail for the new account has issues opening iTunes to do the verification. Paste the url into another browser and it works better
Hi Andrew,
I had the "no network connection" problem twice before and all I had to do is restart my iPhone.
Thanks guys for the work around. Works great!!!
Work-around did the trick, thanks guys!
It still baffles me why this restriction exists: if Rogers is indeed pulling the strings it does not make sense for them to do so for iPod Touch owners. The folks at Skype don't seem eager to push this case further though..at least, it's the impression I'm getting when reading online info over at Skype central.
THANK YOU!!! Worked for me.
Worked flawlessly. Thanks for posting this so clearly!
I tried several times with the none payment, and the US address but once I press continue and the "verify your account" message shows up I never received the confirmation email, even if I change to another email adddress, could it be possible they are detecting my location and rejecting my account?
I'm trying from Calgary using a Telus Internet connection.
any idea on how to workaround this?
Thanks!
Great information, thanks for the tips!
Skype should be banned everywhere. They are fraud - blocked my account from making calls, buying credit for absolutely no reason. I sent them 100's messages but no one bothers to reply. I appreciate UAE's decision to block this pain in the...in the country.
OBVIOUSLY SKYPE IS A VERY GOOD PROGRAM AND ROGERS IS BLOCKING BECAUSE THEY WANT TO DOMINATE THE CELL PHONE MARKET AND CHARGE THE HIGHEST PRICES THEY CAN.
THEY ARE PART OF A MONOPOLY AND UNTIL CANADIANS RISE UP AND KICK THEM IN THE TEETH, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO RIP OFF EVERYONE.
WHERE ARE THE VOTERS? SCREAM AT THE POLITICIANS TO CHANGE THE WAY THIS CELL PHONE MAFIA DOES BUSINESS! AND IF THE POLITICIANS WONT GET ACTIVE, VOTE THEM OUT ON THEIR BUMS!
BTW, THE POST ABOVE FROM ALTAF IS OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE THAT WORKS FOR ROGERS, I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SKYPE NOT RESPONDING TO A PROBLEM...
ALTAF IS TRYING TO PERSUADE POTENTIAL USERS FROM BYPASSING ROGERS STRANGLEHOLD...
GET ACTIVE CANADA, STOP GETTING PUSHED AROUND BY THESE RIP OFF CELL PHONE COMPANIES! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Beautiful - a brilliant solution. There is always a workaround. Thanks!
I have successfully installed skype on my iphone (canada) with the workaround mentioned above but for some reason my calls are all staticy, i cant hear the other person at all, and its pretty much useless to me. Am I the only one having this problem or is this rogers somehow knowing I'm using skype and putting the clamp down on me?
Please help
I just updated my itunes, syncd iphone and skype has disappeared! I tried doing the 'workaround' again, but it didnt work. Anyone else has had a similar experience?
worked fine for me using an iPhone 3GS from Rogers..
I have a US credit card and could download skype app no problem. But when I tried a skype call, it was blocked, got a pop up box that states "Skype calls over 3G networks are currently not allowed due to contractual restrictions".
Fu ck i ng Rogers sucks.
Yup - exactly my experience too. Rogers is a bunch of fu ck ing thieves. I just moved here from the US. I pay 3x the cost for my cell phone bill here now (admittedly, I didn't have a iPhone in the US but I had a sprint Palm Treo with unlimited calls/texts/data/tethering). I can't believe the lack of competition up here raping consumers! Can't wait to figure out a workaround on the 3G system....
Really? I can't get it to work.... are you sure you're on the 3G and not just the old one? Of course you are sure, sorry, didn't mean to insult you. Just very frustrated over here that I can't use Skype on my brand spanking new $300 32Gig iphone
I just tried the method suggested by JP. Worked like a charm on the 3GS 16GB model.
However, after installing Skype I had some problems with my orginal applications. They would crash back to the home screen.
To fix this, I installed a free app using the app store via the iPhone.
Skype works, as well as my original apps.
I had Skype on my iphone with rogers, that I download
and did a sync with itunes, it asked me if I wanted to install a Rogers system update, which I regretfully did, it wiped the skype app, and also the applications store app on the iphone. What sneaky corporate scum. As soon as someone offers an alternative, I'm gone. This is a greed issue, and blocking technology that saves money for sky high phone bills, when it comes down to the crunch, we remember the companies who screwed us, when the monopoly is crushed.
Thanks, works fine for me. Now I have Rogers iphone 3G non-jailbroken with skype installed on it.
this worked great! thanks for the tip.
Is there any other apps not available in Canada that we should be looking at?
Well I don't buy any of the patent stuff. I think that In Canada it's not available because Rogers has decided to block Skype since it's in direct competition with its plans. I think that there should be an investigation on Rogers' anti-competition practices.
Yep, yep, this is the real Canada, price cartels all over the place, food cartels, inport protection, the highest cell phone usage costs of the world, incredible intenet usage costs, incredible TV connection monthly costs. It starts to look quite a bit as a Rusian country 20 years ago.
Try to buy a SKYPE Phone here in a Canadian store, it's not possible. Try to buy it online at skype.com, if you are logged in as a Canadian user, no way you can buy the nice stuff. The Canadian governement didn't block eBay.ca yet so try to buy Skype phones or other Skype stuff via eBay.
Ed
Now, the Skype on iPhone is finally up and running. But how does one buy credit (for worldwide skypeout) with Canadian credit card?
I just did the workaround here and couldn't uncheck the skype app without iTunes wanting to unistall it. So I left it checked, signed out of the workaround account and back into my regular account. Resync without a problem. I then unplugged my iPod Touch (yah) and used a special adapter that goes into the headset spot. I think it was called Smart Talk and cost $15. The headphones get plugged into the other end of the Smart Talk adapter. I phoned the Skype test call and could hear her perfectly and also myself. How sweet is that? I plugged the iPod Touch (with 3.1) back into the computer, and have not received an error message.
I don't care two whistles about the nonsense laws preventing us in Canada from downloading Skype on our iPhones.
I have it, I update it from my phoney "US iTunes Store Account" whenever an update to the app is available, and I love it.
Cl*ck Apple and Industry Canada for having their heads stuck up their youknowwhat.