--- description: You no longer need to download an app to make voice or video calls over Skype, the Microsoft-owned chat company announced Friday title: Skype Now Lets You Make Calls Right From Your Browser image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8698b63be3ba0cc9/698768c306f2c113f73323bb/109174158.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Skype Now Lets You Make Calls Right From Your Browser  by [Alex Fitzpatrick](/author/alex-fitzpatrick/)  ## Alex Fitzpatrick Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 14, 2014 3:11 PM CUT  The Skype Technologies SA logo is seen above the trade stand at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday, Feb.16, 2011. The Skype Technologies SA logo is seen above the trade stand at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday, Feb.16, 2011.Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images  by [Alex Fitzpatrick](/author/alex-fitzpatrick/)  ## Alex Fitzpatrick Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 14, 2014 3:11 PM CUT You no longer need to download an app to make voice or video calls over Skype, the Microsoft-owned chat company [announced](http://blogs.skype.com/2014/11/14/please-welcome-skype-for-web-beta/ "undefined") Friday, as it unveiled a browser-based solution called “Skype for Web.” Skype for Web lets users make voice and video calls directly in the browser of their choice by visiting Skype.com. It requires users to install a plugin, but not the full Skype software. Skype for Web is currently in beta and will roll out to more users over the next few months. “Skype for Web makes it quicker and easier than ever before to connect with friends, family and colleagues around the world, for free – directly from Skype.com,” the company said in a [blog post](http://blogs.skype.com/2014/11/14/please-welcome-skype-for-web-beta/ "undefined"). “It’s perfect if you prefer using the web rather than an app: perhaps you’re sitting at a computer that doesn’t already have Skype downloaded. Or maybe you’re on the go and using an internet café or hotel computer whilst on vacation where you can’t download Skype at all.” Microsoft rival Google has offered free in-browser voice and video chats for several years through Google Talk and Google Hangouts. Skype’s move towards a browser-based solution reflects larger [recent efforts by Microsoft](http://time.com/3550140/satya-nadella-microsoft-2/ "undefined") to develop cross-platform software that works on multiple devices. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3585520/skype-web/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3585520/skype-web/"},"headline":"Skype Now Lets You Make Calls Right From Your Browser","datePublished":"2014-11-14T15:11:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:03:41.296Z","description":"You won't need to download the Skype app to make calls","url":"https://time.com/3585520/skype-web/","keywords":["Tech","apps","Microsoft","Skype"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8698b63be3ba0cc9/698768c306f2c113f73323bb/109174158.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alex Fitzpatrick","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alex-fitzpatrick/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8698b63be3ba0cc9/698768c306f2c113f73323bb/109174158.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Mobile World Congress 2011","caption":"Mobile World Congress 2011","creditText":"Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3585520/skype-web/","name":"Skype Now Lets You Make Calls Right From Your Browser"}}]}] ```