At meeting time, open your Online Meeting email invitation, and then click the meeting link in the email message.

Basics of joining a Skype video meeting

Open the meeting request in your email or calendar, and click on the meeting link.

If you are using a USB microphone, USB headset, or USB webcam, please connect them before clicking the link and entering the meeting.

Your browser may ask how you want to join the meeting if you have some other Skype app already installed on your computer (this may be from another class or conference call). You will want to enter the meeting using just your browser. You will want to answer "No" if your browser asks to switch apps or run or download another Skype app.

On the Join as guest window, type your name on the line and click the Join button.

If you are not at the Join as guest window after clicking the class meeting link (and telling it no if it asks to switch apps), it likely means you clicked on of the other options to either join with an already installed app, or to download an app, or to sign in or create a new Skype account. You do not need to do any of these things. The easiest way back is to close the current browser tab (or close the browser) and click the meeting link again to start over.

Skype video meetings for the web does not require any signups or downloads to work. You do need to be using a current version of your browser, such as Microsoft Edge or Chrome.

Turning on your microphone and webcam before starting the meeting

After joining as a guest, the Skype video meetings on the web Start call window will appear. This will show the title of the meeting you are joining, and the status of your microphone and webcam. If this is your first time using Skype video meetings, the webcam and microphone will be turned off.

Click the switch next to the microphone icon to turn on your microphone. Your computer may ask your permission to use the microphone.

Click the switch next to the video (webcam) icon to turn on your webcam. Your computer may ask your permission to use the webcam.

If you have more that one camera on your computer (a number of tablets and notebooks have "front" and "rear" cameras), your computer may use the wrong one (so you have a nice video of the blank wall behind your computer). Clicking the name of the webcam in use, which is displayed below the video image, will open a pick list of the other cameras connected. Select the one you wish to use.

Connect into your meeting by clicking the Start call button.

The Skype video meetings on the web meeting room

You manage all aspects of your meeting experience from the main Skype video meetings window. The title of the meeting and your webcam image appears at the top. The large video area shows the other participants. Additional sidebars may be opened for other features, such as the Gallery or Chat. And the control bar appears at the bottom.

The control bar has icons to start or stop a recording, turn on or mute your microphone, turn your webcam on or off, hang up on the call, open or close the chat sidebar, click on a reaction, or access more options.

Depending on the meeting and browser configuration, the control bar may also display a share icon.

When sharing your screen, you have the option to display your entire screen, or just that of a specific application that is already running.

A bar at the bottom of your screen will remind you that you are sharing your screen, and has an button to stop sharing. Clicking the share screen icon will also allow you to stop sharing your screen.

The More icon (the three dots at the right end of the control bar) Lets you view your microphone and webcam settings and allows you to test your audio speakers with the Test Audio button.

Information is also displayed about your microphone, speaker, and video devices when using the microphone and video icons in the center of the control bar.

Using Chat, sharing files, and creating polls

Clicking the the Chat icon on the control bar opens the Chat sidebar.

To send message to all the meeting participants, click in the message input area at the bottom of the chat sidebar, and begin typing. Click the Send message button when you are finished typing. Your message will be received by all of the meeting participants.

You may upload and share files in the Chat sidebar by clicking the Add files icon at the bottom of the Chat sidebar, and select the files you wish to upload to the meeting.

The + icon allows you to upload more files.

Participants may download files from the Chat sidebar by clicking the file name. Common file types are identified on the file link. In this example, the file is a PowerPoint slide deck, identified with the PowerPoint file icon.

When you upload files, it's a good practice to send a message explaining what the file is, why it was uploaded, or any special information that needs to be shared about the file.

Clicking the More (three dots) icon at the bottom of the Chat window accesses other options. Which options appear depends upon how the meeting was setup.

The Create Poll option allows a poll to be made and shared with the other meeting participants.

Polls have a single question, and a pre-determined expiration date and time (when it stops accepting answers from the other meeting participants). Participants receive a notification when a pool closes.

You may have many different poll answers, but you are limited to fairly short answer options.

Click the Create poll button to initiate the poll.

Polling is a great way to get people involved and interacting in a meeting, and a quick way to find out what the other participants think about the ideas you’re sharing.

Using the Gallery

The Gallery is a sidebar used to share images.

The Gallery is opened with the Gallery link in the upper left corner of the screen, just below the meeting title.

Images may be added using the + to select files, or by dropping a file you copied in the Drop images here to share area at the top of the Gallery sidebar. The participant that shared the image is identified above the image.

Click on a Gallery image to see a larger version.

You normally upload jpg format images to the Gallery.

The three vertical dots to the right of each image let you access the available image options.

You may use the Skype app if you already have a paid Skype account

If you already have a paid Skype account, answering Yes at the Did you mean to switch apps? browser question after clicking on the meeting link will open your normal Skype client app software.

You would only want to do this if you know you have a paid Skype account and want to use that interface instead of the on the web interface described above.

If you already have the paid Skype client app installed, clicking Yes will open the Skype app where you click the button to Join Call.

This opens the Skype app interface which has a few more options than the on the web meeting room.

There can be a mix of participants using Skype on the web and app in the same meeting at the same time.