As a part of a fresh update released by Microsoft today, Skype For Web is getting a slew of new features, including the ability to make phone calls to landlines and mobiles. Other added features include the ability to embed Youtube videos, add non Skype users to address book and more.
If you are unaware (which is possible, considering that Microsoft hasn’t really propagandised it much), Skype For Web is a web version of Skype launched by Microsoft in June 2015, which gives you partial access to almost everything you get on Skype for desktop. You can simply fire up to web.skype.com to access the web version.
With this fresh update, Microsoft is finally making this web version much more functional and useful.
You can now finally make phone calls to mobiles and landlines via Skype For Web. All you need is a little Skype credit or a subscription to start making affordable international calls from Skype. Once you’ve signed in to Skype for Web, simply click on the call phones tab, select your destination, dial the number you’d like to call and then hit the call button.
Next up, is the ability to view and embed Youtube videos, from within the web client. This is a part of Microsoft’s latest improvement in URL display, wherein a user will now also see a related image of the URL posted, instead of simply getting a blue link. Additionally, if someone posts a YouTube video link in Skype for Web, you’ll be able to watch it directly in Skype. You get all the same volume and full-screen controls you have in YouTube, but you won’t have to open a new browser window to watch the video—it’ll instantly play directly in Skype.
As a part of this update, you can now also add non-Skype users to a chat. To do so, you can create a chat with anyone by pressing +New and then ‘Share conversation.’ The web client will then give you a unique conversation URL that you can share however you want. And, anyone that clicks the URL can join your chat.
Lastly, Skype For Web will now also notify you of newer messages. Naturally, as long as you’re signed into Skype for Web, you’ll receive notifications, even if you’re in another browser tab or another app.
