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A couple days ago, Microsoft pulled the wrapper off a brand-new, updated version of Skype for Web and, in the process, left quite a few users out in the cold. In what looks like an effort to consolidate development around the most-used browsing platform (Chrome), Microsoft has shuddered support for the web version of Skype on browsers like Safari, Firefox, and it’s own now-defunct IE11. Their in-house browser is, not surprisingly, also still supported.
If Chrome support is still clearly there, why the title of this article? Well, it turns out Microsoft has decided to give a little jab to Chromebook users in the midst of this update as well. For whatever reason, Skype for Web works fine in Chrome on Windows or Mac, but not on a Chromebook.
Weird flex, but OK.
As it turns out, however, there’s a fantastically-simple workaround to this little issue and Kevin Tofel from About Chromebooks has made the world aware of that a simple user-agent switcher works wonders for bringing your Skype for Web functionality back to your Chromebook.
You can snag the extension here, select Edge for Windows as you user agent (oddly, Chrome for Windows doesn’t quite do it), and then load up web.skype.com and behold: your web-based video chats have full access to your mic, speakers, and camera. It’s almost like Microsoft just turned this off on purpose based only on your OS, not your browser. It’s almost like they targeted Chrome OS users specifically.
But I’m sure that’s just my imagination! Anyway, if you are/were a Skype user and the web portal is your preferred way of making and receiving calls, you can still take part from your Chromebook just fine.
Oh, there’s also the Android app that can be leveraged here as well in the event that this little workaround ceases to do the job.
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