It doesn’t work perfectly just yet and requires some fiddling, but it’s an option. Skype has an Android app, and you can now install that Android app on Chrome OS. If you have an Android device, you can install Skype for Android and the ARChon Packager app. The packager app can then package up the Skype Android app into a Chrome app. You can then share the generated app using Android’s share feature and upload it to Google Drive, where it will be available on your Chromebook’s Files app.įirst, install the Archon runtime on your Chromebook. Next, extract the Skype app and install it by opening the Extensions page in Chrome, activating “Developer mode,” and using the “Load unpacked extension” button. If you just have a Chromebook, you can use the twerk Chrome app for this. You’ll just have to get an official Skype APK file to package it with. RELATED: How to Install Ubuntu Linux on Your Chromebook with Crouton It’s different from the “Developer Mode” feature below that allows you to install Linux.) (Note that the “Developer mode” option here just activates some additional features on the Extensions page. This is probably the most complicated option here, but it will certainly work. Microsoft still provides an officially supported version of Skype for the Linux desktop.

This application can’t be installed directly in Chrome OS. However, you could put your Chromebook into Developer Mode and install a standard Linux environment alongside Chrome OS. You’d then have a Linux system and you could switch back and forth between your Linux desktop with a keyboard shortcut. With Linux installed, you could install the Skype package from Microsoft. You’d then have a Skype desktop application running on your Chromebook. This will only work on Intel-based Chromebooks, not ARM-based ones - Skype is only available for Intel-based Linux systems. This is a fairly extreme option, and the average Chromebook user who just wants Skype won’t want to go through this process.

However, if you desperately need Skype - or if you also want to use other desktop Linux applications like Minecraft, Steam, and whatever else - the full Linux system is an option available to you. The average Chromebook user will probably want to text-chat with their Skype contacts via and pick up their smartphone when it’s time to make a Skype voice or video call.

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