Skype for Business

Windows 11

Launch and sign in

• Start Skype for Business

• Click Start.

• Type Skype for Business in the search box.

• Select Skype for Business from the results to launch it.

First time signing in

• In the sign‑in window, in Sign‑in address, enter your work email (for example, username@uwaterloo.ca )

• Click Sign In.

  • If prompted, in username field enter nexus\username

  • In password field enter your WatIAM password

• Click Sign In again to complete.

After sign‑in

• Confirm your presence status (Available/Busy/etc.) is showing.

• If it’s your first time, use Options/Settings → Audio Device/Video Device to test speakers, mic, and camera.

macOS

Launch and sign in

• Open Skype for Business

• Open Finder → Applications and double‑click Skype for Business, or

• Press Command+Space, type Skype for Business, and press Return, or

• Click the Dock icon if it’s already pinned there.

First time signing in

• In the sign‑in window, in Sign‑in address, enter your work email (for example, username@uwaterloo.ca )

• Click Sign In                                                                                                                       

• If it asks for both “sign‑in address” and “username”

  • Click Advanced Options.

  • In username field enter nexus\username

  • In password field enter your WatIAM password

After sign‑in

• Go to Preferences → Audio/Video to test audio and camera.

Skype for Business (S4B) Voicemail User Guide

Check your voicemail in Skype for Business

• Click the Phone icon.

• Your recent voicemails and caller details appear at the bottom of the panel.​

• Click a voicemail, then click the Play arrow on the picture/thumbnail to listen.

Check your voicemail in Teams

• Open Teams, go to Calls → History → Voicemail and look for items there

Record or change your greeting

Using the Skype for Business desktop app (Windows):

• Open Skype for Business.

• Go to the Phone tab (dial‑pad icon).

• Click the voicemail icon below the dial pad (#1).

• Choose Change Greetings.

• Skype for Business will call your voicemail and guide you through recording your greeting.

• When prompted to “press a number,” use the on‑screen dial pad to select the options you want.

On Mac

• Open Skype for Business.

• From the main menu, select Preferences.

• Click the Calls icon.

• Click Change Voicemail Greeting, then follow the audio prompts to record or change your greeting.

Online portal for voicemail settings

Access the online portal at aka.ms/vmsettings. The online portal allows you to configure: 

• Call Answer Rules: How you want your calls to be handled when they reach the voicemail service

• Prompt Language (if required): The language you want your greeting prompt to be played in

• Out of Office greetings: Customize Out of Office greeting message settings (choose when to play your Out of Office greeting)

• Text-to-Speech Customized Greeting: If you do not have an Internet-connected device available to call the CVM system

  • If you want to use the text-to-speech option and you already have an existing greeting recorded in a client (e.g. Skype, Teams, etc.), you will need to access your voicemail from the client, access your existing personal greeting, let it play through and then choose option 3 to delete it in order to revert back to the default.

  • At this point, you can set the text-to-speech option to override the default text-to-speech greeting.

Configure Skype for Business

Android device

• Install the app

  • Open the Google Play Store on your Android device.​

  • Search for “Skype for Business” (publisher: Microsoft). Tap it, then tap Install.

  • When installation finishes, open the app from your app drawer.

• Accept prompts and permissions

  • The first time you open it, review and accept the terms of use when prompted.

  • Allow requested permissions (contacts, microphone, camera, storage, phone) so calls, video, and contact lookup work correctly.

• Sign in with your work/school account

  • On the sign‑in screen, enter your organizational sign‑in address, usually your work or school email (for example: username@uwaterloo.ca).

  • Enter the same password you use for Skype for Business or Microsoft 365/Office sign‑in on your computer, then tap Sign In or the arrow/Advance button.

  • If your organization uses a separate domain/username format, you may see fields like Domain and Username (for example, domain: NEXUS, username: WatIAM username)

iOS device

• Install the app

  • Open the App Store on your iOS device.

  • Search for “Skype for Business” (not regular Skype).

  • Download and install the app published by Microsoft.

• First-time sign‑in

  • Open the Skype for Business app.​

  • In the sign‑in screen, enter your organizational sign‑in address in the format (for example, username@uwaterloo.ca).

  • Enter your account password.

  • Tap Sign In. You should now be signed in and see your contacts and meetings.

If sign‑in fails (advanced options)

• On the sign‑in screen, tap Advanced Options.​

• In the username/Domain fields, enter the values your IT department specifies:

  • Domain: your domain (NEXUS)

  • Username: WatIAM username

  • Password: your WatIAM password​