Invite anyone to chat on Skype with a link

Not all of your friends or coworkers use the same communication tools. They do, however, all have a Web browser. Skype's announcement from yesterday acknowledges this by offering up its solution to get everyone in the same chat: allow anyone to join the conversation with a unique link to Skype for Web. Want to try it out? Here's how:

Note:This feature is still rolling out for all users.

• Click the +New button on Skype for Windows, Mac, or the Web.

• A window/pane will appear that contains a URL you can copy and share with friends or colleagues who are not on Skype. Before you do this, you may want to adjust a few other settings:
  • Rename your conversation. This will let people know they are in the correct chat when they open the link.
  • Decide if you want chat history to be available for participants. (Needs to be enabled in settings.)
  • Desktop users can also adjust notification settings.

• Share the link with your friends or coworkers. It will open the Skype Web interface, where a username (of the recipient's choice) must be provided to join the chat.

Text chat will be available immediately, but using audio or video may require the Skype browser plug-ins to be installed.

Skype isn't the first service to offer this feature, but still a useful addition. Now friends and family who don't want to sign up for or install Skype can join the rest of your group for a chat.