The Skype for Business Desktop Application is available on all laptops and desktops and replaces previously used physical phones.

The following outlines the various ways in which the application can be used.

Making a Phone Call – Internally

Making a Phone Call – Externally

Setting up Voice Mail

Search By Name – Available for all Employees and Faculty (Internally)

Enter their name in the search box.

Open

Once you have found their contact, hover over their icon to view options.

Open

Click the drop-down next to the phone icon and select Skype Call

Search by UW Extension (Internally)

Enter their UW extension in the search box.

Double-click the contact or the phone symbol to call.

Making a Phone Call - Externally

Enter a phone number into the search box using either the on-screen keypad or the keyboard, then click the Call button.

Note: You only need to add the area code ahead of the number if it is not a long-distance number or “1”.

During a Call

Image of a call on the Skype desktop app.

To Change Volume

Use the slider to change the volume of the call. This only controls the volume at which you hear the other person, the others in the conversation can adjust their volume of you if needed.

Additionally, clicking the speaker icon mutes the call, so that you will not hear anyone on the call.

To Mute Yourself

Click the blue microphone button to mute yourself. If it is crossed out, other participants in the call cannot hear you.

Ending a call

To end a call, click the red telephone icon button. This will close the call window and leave Skype open as usual.

Receiving a Call

Inside Skype for Business, make sure your status is set to “Available” to get notified when someone is calling you.

Check your notification settings by searching “notification” in your windows search bar

Check Settings related to ringer volume, by clicking the settings icon from any page inside Skype for Business

A page with extra options should appear, make sure “Play sounds” is checked under Ringtones and Sounds.

On the same options page, ensure that your audio device is set to the right headset. Click on the green play button next to Ringer, to test the audio level when you are being called.

When someone is calling you, there will be a notification in the bottom left. Click the blue phone icon to answer the call.

Setting up Voice Mail

Click the number pad icon.

Click the telephone icon in the bottom-right corner

Select the option that you need. Call voice mail lets you listen to the voice mail in your inbox, which will bring you into a call that reads out options to listen to mail.

Selecting Change Greetings lets you change what people will hear when they call you, also in a call with a voice menu.

Selecting Set Up Voice Mail lets you change settings relating to voicemail behaviour.

Missed Calls

If you have a missed call, it will show up as a notification beside the clock icon

Clicking the clock icon shows the call history. Calling them back works as usual, by double-clicking the phone icon or hovering over to see the call options.

Voicemail in Inbox

If someone has left a voicemail, a notification will show beside the number pad icon.

To listen to their voicemail, click the phone dropdown in the bottom-right and select Call Voice Mail.

Use the on-screen number pad to select the options. Press 1 to hear your voicemails.

Voicemails will also show up in your email, with an audio transcription of the voicemail, although it may not be fully accurate, as the voicemail transcription shown below said “Nothing” instead of “testing”.