Skype customers in the United States can now phone 911 from their home computers, and the company’s software can also reveal their location with emergency personnel if necessary. The United States is the newest country to receive Skype emergency service calls; previously, it was only available in Australia, Denmark, Finland, and the United Kingdom.

Skype’s decision to allow 911 calls have some drawbacks, but it could be critical for customers who still have access to the Internet when they lose access to a telephone or landline in an emergency. Skype warns that the service isn’t the same as a typical phone call in a “Notice & Disclosures” warning that shows before opting into location-sharing.

Skype allows 911 calls from Computer to its Users in the US

Users are advised not to make an emergency call over Skype while travelling outside of their home country, as the call may be diverted. It also states that in cases where a traditional phone would still work, a Skype outage, internet issues, or a power outage in the vicinity could shut off conversations.

In addition to making 911 calls, Skype 8.80 also allows users to leave a five-minute voice message rather than the previous two-minute limit. Users will also note that they may choose between light and dark mode when in a conversation, send unique reactions, and zoom in or out when sharing their screen.