Skype web application now supports audio connections on Chromebooks

Skype has updated the web version of Skype so that no plugin is needed on Chromebooks and in the Chrome or Chromium browser. It is not known when Microsoft implemented the update. Video and calling to phone numbers is not yet supported.

The ability to use Skype’s calling feature without a special plug-in was discovered by a reader of the OMG Chrome! blog. Nothing about the new option can be found on the Skype site itself; it still says to download a 13.6MB plugin that only works on Windows or Mac OS machines.

That is now a thing of the past. After allowing access to the microphone via the browser, the web app will function immediately.

Users of certain types of Chromebooks will also be able to install the Skype Android app at the end of the year. Chromebook owners who are on the list of future supported Chromebooks can already experiment with Android apps by installing the developer version of Chrome OS.

With the arrival of functional audio to Skype for Web, Linux users can also use the web app via Chrome or Chromium.

1. Skype on Chrome OS 2. Skype via Chromium browser on Ubuntu