Known issues - Skype for Business on Mac

Outlook integration

Requirements for Skype for Business and Outlook integration on Mac:

• Mac Outlook version 15.28 or later is required.

• Skype for Business must be running.

• Same user account needs to be signed into Outlook and Skype for Business.

Troubleshooting Outlook integration in case Contacts don’t show presence, online meetings fail to schedule, or there is no dial-in information in meeting invitation:

1. Ensure the user account is the same in Outlook and Skype for Business.

2. Restart Outlook.

3. Reinstall Skype for Business on Mac.

4. Perform clean uninstall of Lync 2011. See How to Perform a Clean Uninstall of Lync for Mac 2011 for more information.

5. Ensure Skype for Business is running and signed in.

Can’t see users’ Skype for Business presence in Outlook 2016 for Mac

If you have Lync for Mac 2011 installed on the same Mac device, Lync for Mac might have changed the configuration. Recommend that you reinstall Skype for Business on Mac.

Can't search Skype directory

Skype for Business on Mac users can't search the Skype directory, although you've enabled this functionality for your organization. However, Skype for Business on Mac users can communicate with Skype users if they know the Skype user's Microsoft account.  See Add a contact in Skype for Business

Side-by-side installation

Side-by-side installation of Skype for Business and Lync is not supported on Mac. We recommend that you perform a clean uninstall of Lync for Mac 2011 prior to installing Skype for Business.

Cannot sign in to Skype for Business

Some Lync profiles might be different from Skype for Business on Mac profiles and can cause a discrepancy. See How to Perform a Clean Uninstall of Lync for Mac 2011 for more information.

Mobility Policy required

With the release of Skype for Business Server 2015 CU4 and Lync Server 2013 CU8 HF1, we will support Skype for Business on Mac as a desktop application. This means that having a mobility policy assigned to Mac users will not be required. Until these server updates, Mobility enablement on the server side is required.

Meeting invitations only display a single dial-in number

Fix: Update to Outlook 2016 for Mac build 15.32 or later.

Single/tabbed window experience not available

By default, if your topology meets the following requirements, all conversations will be shown in a single/tabbed window. However, there are cases when the client can’t detect if server-side conversation history is enabled and it will not default to single window view. This can be remedied by updating settings in Preferences.

Requirements for single/tabbed window experience:

• Skype for Business Online or Skype for Business Server 2015

• Server-side conversation history enabled.

Troubleshooting if single window mode is not available, check the following:

• Preferences > General > Show chats in separate pop-up windows is unchecked. (In app versions prior to 16.25, this setting is named Show conversation in separate windows.)

Adding a distribution group that has more than 100 contacts will result to 100 contacts only

Workaround: To view the full member list of distribution group, use Outlook to expand the group.

Skype for Business on Mac fails to sign-in

(Skype for Business Server Online, Exchange Server Online, Identity managed on-premises with ADFS 3.0 and WIA authentication enabled for wiasupporteduseragents-Mozilla/5.0)

Workaround:

1. Remove “Mozilla/5.0” from the WIASupportedUserAgents parameter in AdfsProperties. Essentially, you will need to:

   1. Run Get-AdfsProperties | select wiasupporteduseragents and get the output.

   2. Then remove _only_ “Mozilla/5.0” from the output.

   3. Then run Set-AdfsProperties -WIASupportedUserAgents with the output from step b.

2. Revert back to using Lync for Mac 2011.

Contact Management, including Delegate Management, is only supported on Skype for Business Server 2015 with UCS disabled

Users on Skype for Business Server 2015 cannot modify their contacts list in Skype for Business if a user account is enabled by the Skype for Business administrator for the Unified Contact Store (UCS) for Exchange. If the users are hosted on Lync Server 2013, Contact Management is not supported. Users can make changes to their contacts list in Outlook. Delegate Management can be done by the Lync or Skype for Business administrator using the SEFAUtil administrative tool.

Skype for Business Server 2015 with UCS disabled is the only currently supported Contact Management.

While in a peer-to-peer session between a Windows Skype for Business client and a Mac Skype for Business client, and sharing is started by the Mac Skype for Business client, the Windows Skype for Business client will not be able to see the Mac user's desktop if VBSS is disabled in the environment.

Desktop viewing is currently not supported in this Skype for Business scenario for Windows on-premises users.

Workaround:

• Option 1: Enable VBSS in the environment.

• Option 2: Users can join a conference call or use "Meet Now."

Enhanced 911 (E-911) support

Support for E-911 emergency calls made from Skype for Business on Mac has the following requirements for on-premises servers:

• Skype for Business on Mac version 16.11 or later.

• Skype for Business Server 2015, December 2017 update or Lync Server 2013, November 2016 update (CU8 HF1).

• Enable911 in CsPlatformServiceSettings must be true.

• West Safety Services customers: Emergency Gateway Version 5.4.

• EnhancedEmergencyServicesEnabled property of the user’s location policy is enabled or

• EnhancedEmergencyServicesEnabled property is enabled on the location policy applied to the network site of the subnet to which the user is connected (Skype for Business Server 2015, July 2018 update required).

Instant messaging (IM) notification for emergency calls not sent to a distribution list

For users of Skype for Business Server 2015, sending an IM notification of an emergency call placed from Skype for Business on Mac to a distribution list (as specified by the the notification URI in the location policy) requires the July 2018 update.

In Outlook, cannot join a meeting from a non-federated organization

Users cannot join a meeting from another organization that isn’t federated with your organization when users click the join links in Outlook.

Workaround: Join the meeting from the Meetings tab inside the app (version 16.11.149 and later).

Large PowerPoint files cannot be shared in a meeting

PowerPoint files that are larger than 30 MB can't be shared in a meeting from Skype for Business on Mac.

Workaround: Open the PowerPoint file on the computer and share the screen in the meeting.

Contact card information for the signed-in user is out of date

When contact details for the signed-in user change, the contact card in Skype for Business on Mac may not show the current information.  

For Skype for Business Online users: 

• Wait for at least 24 hours from the time that the new contact information was published in Active Directory.

• Sign out of all Skype for Business apps on all devices.

• Sign out from or disconnect desk phones or applications provided by peripheral manufactures (such as headsets) that have a Skype for Business connection.

• Sign in to the Skype for Business app on Mac, iOS, or Android.

• Wait five minutes and check the contact information.

For Skype for Business Server 2015 or 2019 users: sign in from Skype for Business app on Windows.  A fix will be available in a future server update that does not require the Windows app.

'Chat not available' in a meeting if no message is sent or received for 1 hour

If no messages are sent in the meeting for 1 hour, UCWA disconnects the client from the IMMCU on user inactivity. The disconnection is not visible until the Mac user attempts to send a message.

Workarounds:

- Send an instant message within 1 hour.
- Rejoin the meeting.

Features not available in this release

If you have Skype for Business Server 2015, see the Skype for Business on Mac column in Client comparison tables for Skype for Business Server 2015.

If you have Lync Server 2013, see the Skype for Business on Mac column in Client comparison tables for Lync Server 2013.