Install Skype For Business Web App Plug-in Macos

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  1. Join with Skype for Business Web App if Skype for Business desktop is installed In some cases you may want to join a meeting with Skype for Business Web App even if the desktop version of Skype for Business is installed. In the meeting request, right-click or tap and hold the Join Skype Meeting link, and select Copy Hyperlink.
  2. Why is the Skype for Business Web App asking to install the plug-in again? If you’re having trouble with the Skype for Business Web App plug-in, read about trouble installing plug-in helpful hints from Microsoft. Signing In / Logging In.
  3. After the download is done, you can manually install it. If the Skype for Business desktop version is installed, you can perform the follow steps to join the meeting with Skype for Business Web App. In the meeting request, right-click or tap and hold the Join Skype Meeting link, and select Copy Hyperlink.
  4. May 28, 2020  Skype for Business on Mac is the all new client that provides great communication experiences for Apple users. Features like one-click join, edge-to-edge video, and full screen sharing give you a superior Skype Meetings experience.
  5. Sep 04, 2015  This article addresses the deployment of a single Office Web Apps 2013 Server and subsequent integration with an existing Skype for Business (SfB) Server 2015 environment. The environment and example steps outlined here are a continuation of a series of related articles covering the installation and configuration of a Standard Edition topology of Skype for Business Server 2015.

Summary: IT Professionals should review the support requirements for the Skype for Business Web App and Skype Meetings App while planning for Skype for Business Server. This article is not intended for the users of these apps.

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Once you've implemented Skype for Business Server, your organization's users will presumably have the Skype for Business client installed as part of the deployment process.

Later on, those users may create meetings and invite users from outside the organization, and those meeting invitees may not have any version of the Skype for Business client. When those users click the URL for the meeting invite, the lack of a client will be detected and the invitee without a Skype for Business client will be asked to download and install a lightweight, meetings-only client so they can join the meeting.

Note

The Skype for Business Web App and Skype Meetings App are only available when trying to log in to a meeting without having Skype for Business. User help for these apps is at https://aka.ms/smahelp.

Note

You can't pre-install either the Skype for Business Web App or Skype Meetings App, but smart phone and tablet users may be able to install inexpensive mobile clients they can use to attend meetings.

By default, the server hosting the meeting will direct the user to download and install Skype for Business Web App to join the meeting. The Skype for Business Web App is stored on the Front End Server and gets sent to the meeting attendee.

For Skype for Business Server, Skype Meetings App (on Windows) and Skype for Business for Mac (on Mac) are available as replacements for Skype for Business Web App beginning with CU5, but providing the replacement apps requires the additional configuration described in Enable Skype Meetings App to replace Skype for Business Web App (Optional). If Skype Meetings App and Skype for Business for Mac are enabled, users will download the latest version of the apps from the Microsoft 365 or Office 365 Content Delivery Network (CDN) rather than from your Skype for Business server. For Skype for Business Server 2019, using Skype Meetings App and Skype for Business for Mac is the only option.

Skype Meetings App offers a simplified browser experience for downloading and installing the app and joining meetings, including one-click join for users of Internet Explorer. Skype Meetings App also has many improvements over the Skype for Business Web App for reliability and the meeting experience.

Note

As of Skype for Business Server 2015 CU5 or later, meetings held using Skype for Business Online will no longer send a clientless user the Skype for Business Web App, they will instead be sent Skype Meetings App (on Windows) or Skype for Business for Mac (on Mac). As of Skype for Business Server 2015 CU5 or later, if you Enable Skype Meetings App to replace Skype for Business Web App (Optional), clientless users will be sent Skype Meetings App or Skype for Business for Mac instead of Skype for Business Web App.

Software requirements

To use the Skype for Business Web App, a user must have one of the following supported operating system and browser combinations.

Operating System and minimum browser support for Skype for Business Web App

Operating systemEdge32- and 64-bit Internet Explorer 11 or later32- and 64-bit Internet Explorer 10 or later32- and 64-bit Internet Explorer 9 or later32- and 64-bit Version of Safari 6.2.8 - 11.X32- and 64-bit Version of Chrome 18.X or later
Windows 10
Yes
Yes
N/A
N/A
N/A
Yes ❸
Windows 8.1 ❶
N/A
Yes
N/A
N/A
N/A
Yes ❸
Windows 8 (Intel based) ❶
N/A
N/A
Yes
N/A
N/A
Yes ❸
Windows 7 with SP1 ❷
N/A
Yes
No
No
N/A
Yes ❸
Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 ❷
N/A
Yes
Yes
Yes
N/A
Yes ❸
macOS 10.8 and later (Intel-based) ❷
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Yes
Yes

Install Skype For Business Web App Plug-in Mac

❶ The Skype for Business Web App browser plug-in requires a specific sharing plugin to use computer-based voice, video, sharing, and viewing of ongoing screen sharing and other features. A meeting attendee is given the option to install the sharing plug-in either when they join the meeting or when they initiate one of these features. On Windows 8, and Windows 8.1, the sharing plug-in can be installed only if you're running Internet Explorer 10 or Internet Explorer 11 for the desktop. These features are not available with non-desktop versions of Internet Explorer 10 and 11. Note that Firefox and Safari version 12.0 and later is no longer supported.

❷ On supported Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Macintosh operating systems, all features are available including computer-based voice, video, application viewing, application sharing, desktop viewing, and desktop sharing. To use these features, you must install a plug-in when prompted. Note that Mac OS X version 10.7 is no longer supported. Also note the web app will not install on OS X 10.15 or later. We recommend using the latest version of Skype for Business for Mac which supports anonymous join scenarios moving forward.

Install Skype For Business Web App Plug-in Macos Free

❸ Accessing the Web App from Chrome on Windows will launch a small program which loads the Web App in an embedded Internet Explorer frame. This program requires one of the supported versions of Internet Explorer be installed for the Web App to load properly.

Note

Microsoft 365 and Office 365 users can use Internet Explorer 10 or later with Skype for Business.

Skype Meetings App

Skype Meetings App runs as an app on computers using Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, with 32- and 64-bit Internet Explorer 11 or later installed.

For any other dependencies, refer to Supported platforms for Skype Meetings App

Skype for Business for Mac

Skype for Business for Mac runs on computers using macOS version 10.8 or later.

Hardware requirements

Computer hardware requirements are determined by the operating system and browser. Voice and telephony features require a microphone and speakers, headset with microphone, or equivalent device compatible with the computer. Video features require a video device compatible with the computer. For detailed information about video hardware support and expected video quality, see Skype for Business client video resolutions.

Network requirements

If a user of Skype for Business Web App or Skype Meetings App experiences meeting connection issues, chances are their organization's network infrastructure is not configured to support Office 365 as described in Office 365 URLs and IP address ranges. This is the case whether the meeting was created by a user of Skype for Business Online or Skype for Business Server.

If the user is on a network not configured as described, many app features may or may not work and they may not be able to connect to the meeting at all.

Supported Meetings features

This table compares the Meetings features available to users of the Skype for Business client, Skype for Business Web App, Skype Meetings App, and Lync Web App. Lync Web App is listed for feature comparison purposes: a user would only be downloading and using Lync Web App if the meeting was hosted on a Lync 2013 server.

Feature/capabilitySkype for Business 2016 or 2019 clientSkype for Business on Mac clientSkype Meetings AppSkype for Business Web AppLync Web App
Add computer audio
✔ (requires plug-in)
✔ (requires plug-in)
✔ (requires plug-in)
Add video
✔ (requires plug-in)
✔ (requires plug-in)
✔ (requires plug-in)
Switch audio to a phone for authenticated participants
Switch audio to a phone for guest participants
View multiparty video (gallery view)
Video-based screen sharing

✔(View-only)
Use in-meeting presenter controls
Access detailed meeting roster
Participate in multiparty IM
Set IM messages as high importance
Share the desktop (if enabled)
✔ (requires plug-in)
✔ (requires plug-in)
✔ (requires plug-in)
Share a program (if enabled)
✔(On Windows only; requires plug-in)
✔(On Windows only; requires plug-in)
✔(On Windows only; requires plug-in)
Take control of another user's shared desktop or program
✔ (❶ On Windows only; requires plug-in)
✔ (❶ On Windows only; requires plug-in)
✔ (❶ On Windows only; requires plug-in)
Let another user take control of your shared desktop or program
Add anonymous participants (if enabled)
Invite participants by name
Invite participants by phone number
Invite participants by email
Use dial-in audio meetings
✔ ❷✔ ❷✔ ❷✔ ❷✔ ❷
Initiate a Meet Now meeting
Record a meeting
Add and download attachments
Add and present Microsoft PowerPoint files
Navigate Microsoft PowerPoint files
Add and edit OneNote meeting notes
Edit only (not add)
Edit only (not add)
Edit only (not add)
Use a whiteboard
Conduct polls
Upload files to share with others
Schedule a meeting or conference
Outlook or Skype for Business Web Scheduler
Outlook or Skype for Business Web Scheduler
Skype for Business Web Scheduler
Skype for Business Web Scheduler
Skype for Business Web Scheduler
Q&A Manager
Disable attendee video
Disable meeting IM
Mute audience
Make everyone an attendee
Produce Skype Meeting Broadcast

❶ Participants can't control desktops that are shared by Skype for Business for Mac, Lync for Mac 2011 or Communicator for Mac 2011 users. This also won't work for Skype for Business Web App on Max OSX.

❷ For Skype for Business Online, this feature requires Microsoft PSTN Conferencing, Exchange Unified Messaging, or a 3rd party audio conferencing provider.

❸ The Lync for Mac 2011 client cannot view Microsoft Office 2013 PowerPoint presentations when they have been shared in a conference by the Skype for Business Web App.

Known issues and troubleshooting

For End-users, the online help for these apps is readily available. IT Professionals should be aware of the following issues:

  • If the user is on a network not configured to meet the Network requirements, many app features may or may not work and they may not be able to connect to the meeting at all.

  • Some users may have corporate-administered computers with disabled permission to install apps. for those users, neither app is an option, but smart phone and tablet users may be able to install inexpensive mobile clients they can use to attend meetings.

    Other installation issues are also covered in the help topics.

  • Users may see a firewall warning the first time they run the meetings app. They may be prompted to open ports to optimize the experience, and this may require Admin privileges on the machine they may not have. The app should still function and the user can safely decline to open the requested ports.

  • You must have ActiveX enabled without filtering in Internet Explorer, even if IE is not your default browser. In Skype for Business Web App, an ActiveX control—a small module that adds additional features to a web app or other program—is required for audio, video, and screen sharing.

  • For some features of Skype for Business Web App to work correctly, you must allow your browser to save cookies on your computer or device.

  • You may need to turn on JavaScript support in your browser for some Skype for Business Web App features to work as expected.

AES Support

As of Skype for Business Server 2015 CU5, AES is not supported for ASP.NET 4.6 and this may cause Skype Meetings App to fail to start. Cryptographic requirements due to ASP .NET 4.5 has more details.

See also

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Summary: Deploy the Skype for Business 2015 Web App and Skype Meetings App used with Skype for Business Server.

Skype for Business Web App is an Internet Information Services (IIS) web client that is installed on the server running Skype for Business Server and by default it is deployed on demand to meeting users who do not already have the Skype for Business client. These meeting users are more often than not connecting from outside your network. Whenever a user clicks a meeting URL but does not have the Skype for Business client installed, the user is presented with the option to join the meeting by using the latest version of Skype for Business Web App, Skype Meetings App, or Skype for Business for Mac.

The voice, video, and sharing features in Skype for Business Web App require a Microsoft ActiveX control that is used as a plugin by the user's browser. You can either install the ActiveX control in advance or allow users to install it when prompted, which happens the first time they use Skype for Business Web App or the first time they access a feature that requires the ActiveX control.

Note

In Skype for Business Server Edge Server deployments, an HTTPS reverse proxy in the perimeter network is required for Skype for Business Web App client access. You must also publish simple URLs. For details, see Setting Up Reverse Proxy Servers and DNS requirements for simple URLs in Skype for Business Server.

Enable Multi-Factor Authentication for Skype for Business Web App

Skype for Business Web App, Skype Meetings App, and Skype for Business for Mac support multi-factor authentication. In addition to user name and password, you can require additional authentication methods, such as smart cards or PINs, to authenticate users who are joining from external networks when they sign in to Skype for Business meetings. You can enable multi-factor authentication by deploying Active Directory Federation Service (AD FS) federation server and enabling passive authentication in Skype for Business Server. After AD FS is configured, external users who attempt to join Skype for Business meetings are presented with an AD FS multi-factor authentication webpage that contains the user name and password challenge along with any additional authentication methods that you have configured.

Important

The following are important considerations if you plan to configure AD FS for multi-factor authentication:

  • Multi-factor ADFS authentication works if the meeting participant and organizer are both in the same organization or are both from an AD FS federated organization. Multi-factor ADFS authentication does not work for Lync federated users because the Lync server web infrastructure does not currently support it.

  • If you use hardware load balancers, enable cookie persistence on the load balancers so that all requests from the Skype for Business Web App or Meetings App clients are handled by the same Front End Server.

  • When you establish a relying party trust between Skype for Business Server and AD FS servers, assign a token life that is long enough to span the maximum length of your Skype for Business meetings. Typically, a token life of 240 minutes is sufficient.

  • This configuration does not apply to Lync mobile clients.

Configure Multi-Factor Authentication

  1. Install an AD FS federation server role. For details, see the Active Directory Federation Services 2.0 Deployment Guide

  2. Create certificates for AD FS. For more information, see 'Federation server certificates' section of the Plan for and deploy AD FS for use with single sign-on topic.

  3. From the Windows PowerShell command-line interface, run the following command:

  4. Establish a partnership by running the following command:

  5. Set the following relying party rules:

Disable BranchCache

The BranchCache feature in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 can interfere with Skype for Business Web App web components. To prevent issues for Skype for Business Web App users, make sure that BranchCache is not enabled.

For details about disabling BranchCache, see the BranchCache Deployment Guide.

Verifying Skype for Business Web App Deployment

You can use the Test-CsUcwaConference cmdlet to verify that a pair of test users can participate in a conference using the Unified Communications Web API (UCWA). For details about this cmdlet, see Test-CsUcwaConference in the Skype for Business Server Management Shell documentation.

Troubleshooting Plug-in Installation on Windows Server 2008 R2

If installation of the plug-in fails on a computer running Windows Server 2008 R2, you may need to modify the Internet Explorer security setting or the DisableMSI registry key setting.

Modify the security setting in Internet Explorer

  1. Open Internet Explorer.

  2. Click Tools, click Internet Options, and then click Advanced.

  3. Scroll down to the Security section.

  4. Clear Do not save encrypted pages to disk, and then click OK.

    Note

    If selected, this setting will also cause an error when trying to download an attachment from Skype for Business Web App.

  5. Rejoin the meeting. The plug-in should download without errors.

Modify the DisableMSI Registry setting

  1. Click Start, and then click Run.

  2. To access the Registry Editor, type regedit.

  3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsInstaller.

  4. Edit or add the DisableMSI registry key of type REG_DWORD and set it to 0.

  5. Rejoin the meeting.

Enable Skype Meetings App to replace Skype for Business Web App (Optional, Skype for Business Server 2015 only)

Skype for business web app

This procedure is optional, and applies to Skype for Business Server 2015 CU5 and later. If you do not use it, external users will continue to join meetings using Skype for Business Web App.

Enable simplified meeting join and Skype Meetings App

  1. When you enable access to the Content Delivery Network (CDN), users will have the ability to connect to CDN online and get Skype Meetings App (on Windows) and Skype for Business for Mac (on Mac), and will use the simplified meeting join experience.

  2. Allow client side logging telemetry from the meeting join web page or the Skype Meetings App to be sent to Microsoft servers (the command defaults to false).

    Information sent to Microsoft is in strict compliance with Skype for Business data collection practices.

  3. Set the timeout before fall back to the locally hosted Skype for Business Web App experience if CDN isn't available. The default value is 6 seconds. If this value is set to 0, there will be no timeout.

Note

With MeetingUxUseCdn in Skype for Business Server 2015 Cumulative Update 5, the default value is set to False. This causes an issue where Skype for Business for Mac client is unable to join non-federated partners' meetings as a guest, even if Skype for Business Admin has set MeetingUxUseCdn to True. For this to work, Skype for Business Server 2015 must have the Cumulative Update 7, 6.0.9319.534, or later. See Enable Skype Meetings App to replace Skype for Business Web App in Skype for Business Server 2015.

See also