Applies ToSkype for Business Skype for Business Online

Find and add a contact

Connect with people in your organization, or with friends who have Skype accounts.

  1. On the Contacts tab, in the Find someone box, type a name or email address.

  2. In the search results, right-click the person you want to add, and select Add to Contacts List.

  3. Select the contact group you want to add the person to, if you have contact groups set up.

When you add a person to your contact list, they receive a notification. External contacts must accept your invitation before you can see their availability.

Screenshot of the Skype for Business window while searching for a contact to add.

Start an Instant Message (IM)

  1. On the Contacts tab, point to a contact's picture, and then select Send an IM Send an IM to contact.

    To add others, select Invite More People in the upper-right corner.

    To IM with multiple people, you can also press Ctrl and select each contact. Then right-click and select Send an IM.

  2. Type your message.

  3. Select Send Send or press Enter.

The Skype for Business quick menu with the IM icon active.

Start a voice or video call

Quickly place a call to any online contact.

  • Point to a contact's picture and select Call Call contact or Start a video call Start a video call with contact.

  • To add voice or video to an existing conversation, select Call Call or Video Call .

If you don't have a camera, the video call options are not available.

The Skype for Business quick menu with the Call icon active.

Receive a call

Select an option:

  • Select Answer to accept the call.

  • Select Ignore to dismiss the call and send it to voice mail, if available.

  • Select Options and then select:

    • Reply by IM to dismiss the call and start an instant message session with the caller.

    • Set to Do Not Disturb to dismiss the call and change your status.

    • Answer With Audio Only to answer a video call without sending or receiving video.

End a call

  • Select Hang Up Hang Up or press Ctrl + Enter.

To end an instant message, close the conversation window.

Screenshot of a call notification with the Options menu open.

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