- #Skype video call chromebook install#
- #Skype video call chromebook update#
- #Skype video call chromebook android#
OK, so there’s not much to say here, of course. Brad told me there was a bit of an echo at first, but then that went away and the call proceeded normally. (The Video Call button remains grayed out.) Because this was the first time I’ve tried this, I had to OK Skype’s usage of the Chromebook microphone.Īnd … it worked. This provides a more “native” experience, as shown in the image at the top of this article.)Īfter checking in with Brad-who was naturally amused by my request-I launched an audio call just as I would on Windows. (I happened to test this functionality in a regular web browser window, but Chrome OS allows you to pin web apps and open them in windows, just as you can with Chrome for Windows. You just need to sign-in to Skype for Web, which provides a reasonable facsimile of the desktop Skype experience. Tipped off to this new capability by PC World-Microsoft has yet to announce this for some reason-I decided to give it a shot on an Acer Chromebook 14 for Work I’m currently evaluating.Īs you might imagine, set up is simple enough. Previously, you could only engage in IM-style text chat on that platform.
#Skype video call chromebook update#
The app is free and available for most Chromebooks, though older Atom-powered devices may see an ‘incompatible’ error.Thanks to an update to Skype for Web, it’s now possible to make Skype-based audio calls using a Chromebook.
#Skype video call chromebook install#
Unlike Skype, where you register with a username and e-mail, Viber uses your mobile number as your identity.Ĭonfusingly for a mobile app running on a desktop this means you MUST also install the app on your smartphone to be able to use it on your Chromebook.Ī side effect: you can’t add or talk to someone without knowing their phone number. The big drawback in Viber’s appeal, if not adoption, is how you sign up.
#Skype video call chromebook android#
And yes, despite being an Android app on a desktop OS, swapping a call from Viber on Android to your Chromebook works just fine. Unique features include the ability to transfer of calls between Viber desktop and Viber mobile apps. This credit is available as an in-app purchase in the Android app (I’m unsure how IAPs are handled by Android apps that run on Chrome OS). Like Skype you can buy ‘credit’ to make externals calls to landline and mobile phones through Viber. Users can make free video and voice calls, send messages and share files Other fluff, like sending stickers and being able to create “public chats” that anyone can follow, also feature. It works well and has free, easy-to-use apps for Android, iOS, Blackberry and a slate of modern desktop operating systems, including Linux.Īny service that goes toe-to-toe with a VoIP giant like Skype needs to match it almost feature for feature - which Viber does. Popularity is not always a barometer of quality, though. ‘Viber claim to have more than 500 millionusers’ While that user base is sizeable the service is not well known in the US and Europe especially and is not as widely used as Skype. It claims to have more than 500 millionactive users around the world. Viber is a free VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service that lets users make video and voice calls to each other for free, over the internet. Not heard of Viber before? Don’t worry, not everyone has. The Skype competitor brings its Android tablet app to the Chrome Web Store, making it freely available to install on compatible Chrome OS devices. Good news for chatterboxes everywhere as Viber is now available to install on a Chromebook.