Microsoft Lync contains many settings that you may configure for increased the performance and usability. This topic details accessing the Lync options and adjusting the Lync settings. The default settings are enabled upon the initial installation of Lync. Follow the steps in this topic to adjust your Lync settings.
- Microsoft Lync For Mac Issues
- Microsoft Lync Download
- Download Microsoft Lync For Mac
- Microsoft Lync For Mac 2013
Start Lync for Mac 2011; The first thing that Lync will ask is to set it as the default application for presence – if you want presence information then select Use Lync; The next screen will be the Lync for Mac 2011 login screen; Click on the Advanced icon at the bottom; Click on the Advanced button at the bottom of the Lync client; Set Internal Server name to sipdir.online.lync.com:443.
When Lync is active, the following menu is displayed at the top of the screen.
- DocumentsMicrosoft User DataMicrosoft Lync Data. Start Lync for Mac, and then sign in to Skype for Business Online. On the Lync for Mac menu, click Preferences, click Account, and then clear the Use Microsoft Exchange for managing personal information check box.
- At the Microsoft download center, choose Download to download the Lync for Mac 2011 update program onto your Mac. The lync14.dmg file is downloaded onto your computer. This is the Lync for Mac 11 update.
- Solution: In the Lync for Mac sign-in window, check your user ID and password for typos. If you’re using Office 365, use the same user ID and password that you use to sign in to Office 365, for example, [email protected]. Passwords are case-sensitive.
- How to uninstall Lync from your Mac. Scroll to Microsoft Lync. Drag and drop it into the Trash. To remove all Lync files from your Mac, see How to perform a clean uninstall of Lync for Mac 2011. Expand your Office skills Explore training. Get new features first Join Office Insiders.
The menu options are explained below. Make the appropriate selections for your Lync usage.
From the menu, you can select the following options:
- Lync
- Edit
- View
- Status
- Contact
- Conversation
- Window
- Help
Microsoft Lync For Mac Issues
The Lync Menu
The Lync Menu provides the ability to configure options related to the way Lync functions. The options contained within the menu are explained below.
Menu Item | Description |
About Lync… | Select this option to view the About Microsoft Lync information. The About information displays the version and copyright information for Lync. |
Preferences… | Select this option to configure the Lync preferences. These settings include how Lync will respond to specific events. View the Preferences topic for more details. |
Services | The Services menu option provides the ability to configure keyboard shortcuts and other devices that connect to your computer. |
Hide Lync | Select this option to minimize and hide the Lync screen. |
Hide Others | Select this option to minimize and hide all the screens that are currently open, except for Lync. |
Show All | Select this option, when available, to display all open screens that are minimized or hidden. |
Quit Lync | Select this option to sign out of and quit Lync. |
Use these options to assist you in configuring Lync.
The Edit Menu
The Edit Menu provides the ability to perform certain functions within Lync. The options contained within the menu are explained below.
Menu Item | Description |
Undo | Select this option to undo the last action you completed. |
Cut | Select this option to remove or “cut” an active selection. |
Copy | Select this option to copy an active selection. |
Paste | Select this option to place a reproduction of copied text into an active area. |
Clear | Select this option to remove all active text or content. |
Select All | Select this option to highlight all texts or objects within a field. |
Spelling | Select this option to display a drop-down menu. From the drop-down menu, you can elect to Show Spelling and Grammar corrections that need to be made, or enable your spelling to be checked as you are typing. |
Start Dictation… | Select this option if you want to enable the dictation feature (talk-to-text). |
Special Characters… | Select this option to display the special character menu within Lync. |
Use these options to assist you in configuring Lync.
The View Menu
The View Menu provides the ability to determine how you want your Lync contacts displayed within your Contact List. The options contained within the menu are explained below.
You can sort your Lync contacts by the preferred display method. Select one of the following options from the drop-down menu.
![Microsoft Lync For Mac Microsoft Lync For Mac](https://glazenbakje.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/screen-shot-2011-12-28-at-7-24-39-pm.png)
Menu Item | Description |
View by Name | Select this option to display your contacts in alphabetical order. |
View by Group | Select this option to display your contacts by the contact group to which they have been assigned. |
Use Compact View | Select this option to display your contact list with the least amount of text. |
Make Text Bigger | Select this option to increase the size of the display and message font. |
Make Text Normal Size | Select this option to restore the font to the default size. |
Make Text Smaller | Select this option to reduce the size of the display and message font. |
Show Status Text | Select this option to display the status message of your contacts on your contact list. |
Show Friendly Name | Select this option to display your contacts by first and last name. If this option is not selected, contacts will be displayed by their e-mail address. |
Show Offline Contacts | Select this option to view the contacts that are currently offline or not signed into Lync. |
Collapse All Groups | Select this option if all of your contact list groups are expanded and you can close all of the groups. |
Show All Fields | Select this option to display all fields that are not currently visible. |
Show Message Time Stamp | Select this option to display a time stamp adjacent to each message. |
Use these options to assist you in configuring Lync.
The Status Menu
The Status Menu provides the ability to quickly set your Lync status. The options contained within the menu are explained below.
From the drop-down menu, you can select the appropriate status for your current state. The default status is Available. If you do not select a status or you choose the Reset Status, Available will be the status that is displayed. The status you select also determines whether or not you receive messages at certain times. For example, if you select a status of Do Not Disturb, depending on your settings, you may not receive messages while your status is set to Do Not Disturb.
Select the appropriate status for your current state. The status indicator next to your name will change to the corresponding status color, as shown below.
Repeat these steps to change your Lync status.
The Contact Menu
The Contact Menu provides the ability to quickly work with your Lync contacts and Contact List. The options contained within the menu are explained below.
You can send a message and work with your Contact List from the Contact menu. Select one of the following options from the drop-down menu.
Menu Item | Description |
Send an Instant Message | Select this option to send an Instant Message (IM) to the selected contact. |
Call | Select this option to start a Lync audio call. |
Start a Video Call | Select this option to start a Lync video call with the selected contact. |
Share Desktop | Select this option to share your desktop with the selected contact. |
Send a File… | Select this option to send a file to the selected Lync contact. |
Send an Email Message… | Select this option to send an e-mail to the selected contact. |
Schedule a Meeting… | Select this option to schedule a meeting with the selected contact. |
Move Contact To | Select this option to move a contact to a defined Contact Group. |
Copy Contact To | Select this option to copy the selected contact from one defined group to another defined group. |
Block | Select this option to bar an individual from contacting you through Lync. |
Remove from Group | Select this option to remove the highlighted contact from the Contact Group to which they are currently assigned. |
Remove from Contacts List | Select this option to remove the highlighted contact from your Contact List. |
Create a New Group | Select this option to create a new Contact Group. |
Rename Group | With the name of a Contact Group highlighted, select this option to rename that Contact Group. |
Delete Group | With the name of a Contact Group highlighted, select this option to delete that Contact Group. |
View Past Conversations… | Select this option to view previous conversations in which you have engaged with the highlighted contact. |
View Contact Card | Select this option to view the contact information of the highlighted contact. |
Use these options to assist you in working with Lync contacts.
The Conversation Menu
The Conversation Menu provides the ability to quickly work with your Lync contacts and Contact List. The options contained within the menu are explained below.
Menu Item | Description |
Invite by Name of Phone Number… | Select this option to invite a contact that does not currently use Lync, to become a Lync user. |
Meet Now | Select this option to initiate a audio, video, or desktop-sharing call with a contact. |
Join Online Meeting by URL… | Select this option to launch the Join Online Meeting by URL screen. This screen provides an easy way for you to join a meeting via the URL. |
Start Lync Call | Select this option to start a Lync audio call with a contact. |
Accept Call | Select this option to accept an incoming Lync call. |
Decline Call | Select this option to decline an incoming Lync call. |
Save | Select this option to save a Lync conversation to your conversation history. |
Save as Web Page… | Select this option to save a Lync conversation as an HTM or HTML file. |
Select this option to print a Lync conversation. |
Use these descriptions to work with Lync contacts and your Contact List.
The Window Menu
The Window menu provides the ability to minimize, zoom, close, or bring the Lync screen to the front of all over screens. Use the options within this menu as needed.
The Help Menu
The Help menu provides the ability to launch and view the Microsoft Lync help documentation. Use the Help menu as needed.
Use these menus to assist you in using Microsoft Lync.
-->Topic Last Modified: 2018-01-23
The following tables compare the features and capabilities of Lync 2013 clients in the following categories:
- Enhanced Presence Support
- Contacts and Contact Groups Support
- IM Support
- Conferencing Support
- Telephony Support
- External Users Support
- Archiving, Compliance, and Logging Support
- modern auth
These tables indicate the features that are available to Lync users in an on-premises deployment of Lync Server 2013. The same features are also available to Skype for Business Online and Office 365 users unless otherwise indicated.
Important
See Mobile client comparison tables for Lync Server 2013 for details about feature availability in Lync 2013 mobile clients.
Note
- For details about Skype for Business Online subscription plans, see the Skype for Business Online Service Description at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=282430.
- Lync Server 2013 supports the following previously released clients: Lync 2010, Lync 2010 Mobile, Lync Phone Edition, and Lync 2010 Attendant. For information about these clients, see the Lync 2010 version of the Client Comparison Tables at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkID=213798.
- The Lync 2013 client supports audio and video in a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environment. For details about Lync 2013 capabilities in a VDI environment, see Supported virtualization technologies and known limitations in Lync Server 2013.
Enhanced Presence Support
Feature/capability | Skype for Business 2015 and 2016 client | Skype for Business on Mac | Lync 2013 | Lync Windows Store app | Lync 2013 Basic | Lync Web App | Lync 2010 | Lync 2010 Attendant | Lync Phone Edition | Communicator for Mac 2011 | Lync for Mac 2011 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
View status | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
Publish status | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
View status notes and Out of Office messages | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
Add a custom location | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||||
Add a custom note | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||
Use a photo from any public site for My Picture | ● | ● |
Contacts and Contact Groups Support
Feature/capability | Skype for Business 2015 and 2016 client | Skype for Business on Mac | Lync 2013 | Lync Windows Store app | Lync 2013 Basic | Lync Web App | Lync 2010 | Lync 2010 Attendant | Lync Phone Edition | Communicator for Mac 2011 | Lync for Mac 2011 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
View and Modify Contacts list | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ● | ● | |
Tag contacts for status change alerts | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ||||
Control privacy relationships | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ||||||
Search the corporate address book | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ● | ● | |
Search Microsoft Outlook contacts | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ● | |||
Manage contact groups | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ● | |||
Expand distribution groups and Office 365 Groups | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | |||
Search for Response Groups | ●2 | ●2 | ● | ●1 | |||||||
Display recent contacts group | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ||||||
Display current conversations group | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ||||
Display alternate contact views (for example, tile) | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ||||
Sort contacts by Group, Relationship, or New (people who’ve added you to their Contacts list) | ● | ● | Sort by group | ● | ●1 | ||||||
Sort contacts by Status (availability) | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ||||||
Search and add Exchange contacts | ● | ● | ● |
1 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, Lync 2010 Attendant is not supported.
2 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, this feature is not available.
IM Support
Feature/capability | Skype for Business 2015 and 2016 client | Skype for Business on Mac | Lync 2013 | Lync Windows Store app | Lync 2013 Basic | Lync Web App | Lync 2010 | Lync 2010 Attendant | Lync Phone Edition | Communicator for Mac 2011 | Lync for Mac 2011 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initiate IM or email to a contact | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ● | ||
Navigate among multiple IM conversations/Track multiple conversations in a single tabbed window | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ● | ||
Log IM conversations in Outlook | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | Saved in Communicator for Mac | Saved in Lync for Mac | |||
Use prepared conversation templates | ● | ●1 | |||||||||
Check spelling | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
Skill search (with SharePoint Server integration) | ●2 | ●2 | ●2 | ● 2 | ●1, 2 | ||||||
Persistent Chat (Group Chat) integration | ●3 | ●3 | ●3 | ||||||||
Escalate a Persistent Chat room to a Lync Meeting with one click | ●3 | ●3 | |||||||||
Inline pictures of sender and receiver in IM window | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||||
Send ink messages | ● | ||||||||||
Receive ink messages | ● | ● | ● | ||||||||
Set IM messages as high importance | ● | ● |
1 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, Lync 2010 Attendant is not supported.
2 On-premises Lync Server 2013 and on-premises SharePoint 2013 is required for skill search.
3 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, Persistent Chat is not available. https://busnew553.weebly.com/webex-for-mac.html.
Conferencing Support
Microsoft Lync Download
Note
- Lync meeting features are not available in Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 1.
- In Lync-to-Lync sessions, a Skype for Business Online Plan 1 user can participate in desktop sharing and application sharing if they are invited by a user who has access to sharing features.
- For details, see the Skype for Business Online Service Description at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=282430.
Feature/capability | Skype for Business 2015 and 2016 client | Skype for Business on Mac | Lync 2013 | Lync Windows Store app | Lync 2013 Basic | Lync Web App | Lync 2010 | Lync 2010 Attendant | Lync Phone Edition | Communicator for Mac 2011 | Lync for Mac 2011 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Add computer audio | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● (requires plug-in) | ● | ●1 | ● | ● | ● |
Add video | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● (requires plug-in) | ● | ● | ● | ||
View multiparty video (gallery view) | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
Use in-meeting presenter controls | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
Access detailed meeting roster | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ||
Participate in multiparty IM | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ● | |
Share the desktop (if enabled) | ● | ● 2 | ● | ● | ● (requires plug-in) | ● | ●2 | ●2 | |||
Share a program (if enabled) | ● | View only | ● | ● | ● (requires plug-in) | ● | View only | ||||
Add anonymous participants (if enabled) | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
Use dial-in audio meetings | ●3 | ● | ●3 | ●3 | ●3 | ●3 | ● | ●1 | ● | ||
Initiate a Meet Now meeting | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
Add and present Microsoft PowerPoint files | ● | ● | Present only | ● | ● | ● | View only, annotations not available4 | ||||
Navigate Microsoft PowerPoint files | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
Add and edit OneNote meeting notes | ● | ● | Edit only (not add) | ||||||||
Use a whiteboard | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
Conduct polls | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
Upload files to share with others | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
Schedule a meeting or conference | Outlook or Lync Web Scheduler | Requires Mac Outlook version 15.28 or later | Outlook or Lync Web Scheduler | Outlook or Lync Web Scheduler | Outlook or Lync Web Scheduler | Lync Web Scheduler | ● | Outlook | |||
Q&A Manager | ● | ● | ● | ||||||||
Create public meetings with static meeting IDs from Outlook | ● | ● | ● | ||||||||
Disable meeting IM | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
Mute Audience | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
Make everyone an attendee | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
Delegate can schedule a meeting on behalf of delegator | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||||
Synchronize delegates between UNRESOLVED_TOKEN_VAL(skypeforbusiness) and Outlook | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||||
Set Video Spotlight (lock video) | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
Give/Take control of screen sharing | ● | ● | ● | ● |
1 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, Lync 2010 Attendant is not supported.
2 Participants cannot control desktops that are shared by Skype for Business on Mac, Lync for Mac 2011, or Communicator for Mac 2011 users. Mac users can control desktops shared by Windows users.
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3 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, this feature requires an audio conferencing provider.
4 The Lync for Mac 2011 client cannot view Microsoft Office 2013 PowerPoint presentations when they have been shared in a conference by the Lync Web App 2013 client.
Voice (Telephony) Support
Note
Lync Voice features are limited to certain Skype for Business Online subscription plans. For details, see the “Lync Voice Features” topic in the Skype for Business Online Service Description at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=282430.
Feature/capability | Skype for Business 2015 and 2016 client | Skype for Business on Mac | Lync 2013 | Lync Windows Store app | Lync 2013 Basic | Lync Web App | Lync 2010 | Lync 2010 Attendant | Lync Phone Edition | Communicator for Mac 2011 | Lync for Mac 2011 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initiate a call | ●2 | ● | ●2 | ● | ●2 | ●2 | ●1 | ● | ● | ● | |
Click to call a contact | ●2 | ● | ●2 | ● | ●2 | ●2 | ●1 | ● | ● | ● | |
Transfer a call | ●2 | ● | ●2 | ● | ●2 | ●2 | ●1 | ● | ● | ||
Manage call forwarding | ●3 | ● | ●3 | ● | ●3 | ●1 | ● | ● | |||
Manage team call settings | ●3 | ●3 | ●3 | ●1 | |||||||
Manage delegates | ●3 | ●3 | ●3 | ● | |||||||
Initiate a call to a Response Group | ●3 | ●3 | ●3 | ●1 | |||||||
Support emergency services (E911) | ●3 | ● Requires Lync Server 2013 CU8 HF1 or later | ●3 | ●3 | ●3 | ●1 | ● | ● | |||
IM notification to SIP URI(s) for E-911 call | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
IM notification to distribution list for E-911 call | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
Connect to voice mail, set up or change greeting | ●3 | ● | ●3 | ● | ●3 | ●1 | ● | ● | |||
Missed call notification | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||
Make calls on behalf of another contact (manager/delegate scenario) | ●3 | ●3 | ●3 | ||||||||
Handle another's calls if configured as a delegate | ●3 | ●3 | ●3 | ●1 | ● | ||||||
Manage a high volume of calls | ●3 | ●1 | |||||||||
Call park | ●3 | ●3 | |||||||||
Group call pickup | ●3 | ●3 | ● |
1 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, Lync 2010 Attendant is not supported.
Microsoft Lync For Mac 2013
2 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, this feature is available for PC to PC calls only.
3 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, this feature is not available.
External Users Support
Feature/capability | Skype for Business 2015 and 2016 client | Skype for Business on Mac | Lync 2013 | Lync Windows Store app | Lync Web App | Lync 2010 | Lync 2010 Attendant | Lync Phone Edition | Communicator for Mac 2011 | Lync for Mac 2011 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initiate IM with a public contact | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | ● | ||
Initiate IM with a federated contact | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ●1 | ● | |||
Conduct two-party or multiparty calls with external users | ●2 | ● | ●2 | ●2 | ● | ●1 | ● | ● | ● |
1 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, Lync 2010 Attendant is not supported.
2 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, this feature is not available.
Recording
Feature/capability | Skype for Business 2015 and 2016 client | Skype for Business on Mac | Lync 2013 | Lync Windows Store app | Lync 2013 Basic | Lync Web App | Lync 2010 | Lync 2010 Attendant | Lync Phone Edition | Communicator for Mac 2011 | Lync for Mac 2011 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Client-side recording of audio, video, application sharing, desktop sharing, and uploaded content | ●1 | ●1 | ● | ||||||||
Client-side recording of file transfers, shared OneNote pages, and PowerPoint annotations | ●2 | ●2 | ● | ||||||||
Select preferred recording resolution | ● | ● |
1 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, recording is unavailable in certain Skype for Business Online standalone plans. Recording requires full Lync 2013 client rights. For details, see the Skype for Business Online Service Description at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=282430.
2 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, recording of file transfers, shared OneNote pages, and PowerPoint annotations is unavailable.
Archiving, Compliance, and Logging Support
Feature/capability | Skype for Business 2015 and 2016 client | Skype for Business on Mac | Lync 2013 | Lync Windows Store app | Lync 2013 Basic | Lync Web App | Lync 2010 | Lync 2010 Attendant | Lync Phone Edition | Communicator for Mac 2011 | Lync for Mac 2011 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Archiving of IM conversations in Outlook Conversation History | ●2 | ●2 | ●2 | ●2 | ● | ●1 | Saved in Communicator for Mac | ● | |||
Client-side archiving of audio, video, application sharing, desktop sharing, and uploaded content | ●2 | ●2 | ● | ||||||||
Client-side archiving of file transfers, shared OneNote pages, and PowerPoint annotations | ●3 | ●3 | ● | ||||||||
Access sign-in logs from Lync icon in the task bar | ● | ● | ● |
1 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, Lync 2010 Attendant is not supported.
2 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, this feature requires Exchange Online and is controlled by the user’s Exchange mailbox In-Place Hold attribute.
3 For Skype for Business Online and/or Office 365 users, archiving of file transfers, shared OneNote pages, and PowerPoint annotations is unavailable.
Client limitations
Basic client limitations
The features below are available using the Full client and are not available with the Basic client:
- Manage team call settings
- Manage delegates
- Make calls on behalf of another contact (manager/delegate scenario)
- Handle another's calls if configured as a delegate
- Manage a high volume of calls
- Initiate a call to a Response Group
- Call park
- Group call pickup
Online or Hybrid user account limitations
User accounts can exist either Online or On-premises, and that will affect the features available to that user. Users with accounts on Skype for Business Online will not have access to the following features, even with the Full client:
- Enhanced Presence: Use a photo from any public site for My Picture
- Contacts: Search for Response Groups
- IM Support: Persistent Chat (Group Chat) integration
- IM Support: Escalate a Persistent Chat room to a Meeting with one click
- External Users: Conduct two-party or multiparty calls with external users