Does Skype work on a Chromebook?

Skype is one of the most popular video conferencing apps in the world. If you use one of the best Chromebooks as your daily device for work or school, you’ll probably want to run Skype. In addition to calls for business, you can also use Skype as a messenger service to keep in touch with family and friends. While Skype doesn’t offer a native Chrome OS app, there are several viable options to run Skype on a Chromebook.

Run Skype via the web app

The best option for running Skype on a Chromebook is via the Microsoft Skype web app suite. You can use Skype in your browser to send instant messages and make videos calls with ease. This approach also feels very natural since your Chromebook was built for cloud computing.

One key advantage of web apps is that you don’t need to install anything, saving storage space on your device. Skype is always ready to provide the full experience even if you don’t have access to your phone or desktop app. Simply log in to web.skype.com and get down to business with a fully functional Skype in-browser application. It provides all your favorite features and it’s available in one click.

Run Skype via Android app

If you prefer running the Skype app locally on your Chromebook, Microsoft also offers an Android app for Skype. Overall, the Android version of the Skype app runs quite well on Chrome OS. All the key features are included, like instant messaging and video calling. Installing the Skype Android app is also quite simple.

Skype - free IM & video calls (Free, Google Play) →

1. Open the Google Play Store and download Skype by clicking the box above.
2. Install the app.
3. Once it’s installed, swipe or click into your app drawer.
4. Find and open up the app, log in, and you’re good to go.

The overall integration with Chromebook hardware is very well optimized for the Skype Android app. You can still use the touch interface offered by most Chromebooks. This app also runs nicely on Chrome OS powered tablets.

Run Skype Windows app via Parallels

Perhaps you want to run the full Windows version of Skype? This is also possible using Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS. It’s important to realize that currently Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS is only available to enterprise customers. For business users, this is certainly a useful option to consider. The Parallels software runs a full versions of Windows 10 inside a container on your Chromebook.

With a full version of Windows installed on your Chrome OS device, you can easily download and run the full desktop version of the Skype app. There are some key advantages to this method. Most importantly, you retain a nicely organized desktop interface that’s familiar to every Windows user.

Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS

Parallels Desktop is a full-featured Windows container that runs natively on Chrome OS. This software allows you to run the full version of Windows on your Chromebook.

Buy at Parallels.com

There are several great options for running Skype on your Chromebook. If you’re an individual user, the web app or Android app approach is probably best. Business users may want to explore the option of using Parallels Desktop to run Windows 11 on Chrome OS. Either way, if you spend all day on video calls for work, consider a nice docking station to simplify your workflow.

Let us know in the comments how you access Skype on your Chrome OS device.

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