Skype has started to roll-out a new feature in the UK and US that allows users to send out shareable links to people so they might join a conversation – and those people don’t need a Skype account to join in. Similar to Google Hangouts a link can be sent via email, messaging apps or social media.

In a Skype blog the team said, “Anyone can join the chat as a guest from their computer using Skype for Web and enjoy one to one or group instant messaging, voice and video calls. No Skype account or app download required. Now you can use Skype to chat with anyone and not just the people in your Skype contact list.”

Microsoft said that the roll-out will start in the UK and US but in the next few weeks the feature will roll-out worldwide. It works on the new version of Skype for Web as well as Skype for Windows and Mac. All users have to do is click ‘+New’ to share a link with someone else as long as they have a guest name. Skype says they will bring the sharing feature to mobile devices soon, but if you already have Skype installed on your iPhone or Android phone you can join the conversation.

Skype, which may have seemed fairly lackluster aside its competitors, has seen quite a few updates of late. The most recent without doubt the most essential. Earlier this month Skype introduced its real-time translator (only six languages so far) for desktop users running Windows 10, Windows 7 and Windows 8. In September Skype introduced the less practical, but attractive feature of Mojis – the ability to send friends clips from movies and TV shows that express an emotion.

It’s taken some time, but Skype seems to finally catching up to similar services such as Google Hangouts, or popular messaging apps like WhatsUp or Line.

Photo credit: Skype