

Skype’s app continues to support a wider range of operating systems.
SKYPE FOR BUSINESS WEB APP PLUG IN FOR MAC MAC OS X
In Microsoft’s statement, the spokesperson added that Skype for Web only supports two operating systems: Windows 10 and Mac OS X 10.12 or higher. Last year, Skype for Web dropped support for Chrome OS and Linux. Note: If this is your first Skype for Business (SFB) meeting, please click on the link download and install the Skype for Business (SFB) Web-app plug-in. This is a bummer for Skype, which once dominated the video chat market but over the years has lost users to competing services such as Facebook’s WhatsApp and Messenger, Google’s Hangouts, and Tencent’s WeChat.

Some discovered that by changing the user agent in Firefox to mimic Chrome they were able to use the new Skype for Web. Several Safari and Firefox users complained on Friday when they discovered that the latest Skype for Web - which offers new features, including support for high-definition video calls, a revamped notifications panel, and a media library - was not working on their browsers. Over the years, Microsoft has moved Skype from edge clients to a cloud-first, distributed apps model, and then to a centralized architecture. It’s worth noting that Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp services do not support voice and video calling in Safari either. Microsoft relies on WebRTC in Skype for desktop. Microsoft did not specify what underlying technology is preventing Skype for Web from supporting other browsers, but it is likely referring to WebRTC, an open source technology that enables browsers to support real-time communications. The Skype for Business Web App doesn't seem to work on macOS Catalina. Once installed, links to join a meeting will open in the native application without needing to install any web plug-ins. At the time, a Microsoft spokesperson declined to share when the change would occur. Download Skype for Business on Mac from Microsoft and install it. Last month, Microsoft started warning Firefox, Safari, and Opera users that Skype for Web, first unveiled in 2014, would no longer support their browsers and that they must use Edge or Chrome instead. The change, though upsetting for many, does not come as a surprise.
