HIGHLIGHTS
- Skype's decision to permit 911 calls comes with a few caveats.
- It warns that the service is not the same as a typical phone call.
- Users of Skype 8.80 may now leave a five-minute voice message.
Skype has announced that its US customers may now phone 911 from their home computer, and that its software can reveal their location with emergency personnel if necessary.
According to The Verge, the United States is the most recent country to be included to the list of countries with a Skype emergency service calling capability. It was formerly only accessible in Australia, Denmark, Finland, and the United Kingdom.
This move by Skype to permit 911 calls has several limits, but it might be critical for customers who have an acceptable Internet connection when they lose access to a telephone or landline in an emergency.
Skype warns in a 'Notice and Disclosures' notice that comes before opting in to location-sharing that the service is not the same as a typical phone conversation.
Users are advised not to make an emergency call over Skype when they are outside of their home region, since the call may be redirected elsewhere.
It also stated that a Skype outage, internet issues, or a power outage in the vicinity might prevent calls from being made in situations when a regular phone would still operate.
In addition to making 911 calls, users of Skype 8.80 may now leave a five-minute voice message instead of the previous two-minute limit.
According to The Verge, users will also have the option of using bright or dark mode when on a conversation, as well as the ability to send personalised replies and zoom in or out while sharing their screen.
