Skype for Business for Android

Microsoft Corporation

About this app

Skype for Business, formerly Lync 2013, for Android extends the power of Lync and Skype to your favorite mobile device: voice & video over wireless, rich presence, instant messaging, conferencing, and calling features from a single, easy-to-use interface.

Key Features:
-Initiate a group IM or video conversation and invite additional participants
-Join, rejoin and initiate a Skype for Business Meeting to communicate and collaborate on amazing ideas
-Share your video and view speaker's video during a conference
-Control the meeting (mute or remove attendees) and know more about participants’ modalities
-Look at your upcoming meetings and join via one click
-Find your recent conversations and pick them up from where you left
-Search your contacts by name, email, or phone number
-Enhanced security via Active Directory Authentication Library (ADAL)

Anyone can use the Skype for Business Mobile app when invited to a Skype for Business or Lync 2013 meeting. However, you must have a Skype for Business or Lync account in order to use (and enjoy) the full capability of the Skype for Business Mobile app. Also, some functionality might require an update to Lync or Skype for Business Server or might not be available to all users. If you’re not sure about your account status, please contact your IT department

IMPORTANT: THIS SOFTWARE REQUIRES CONNECTIVITY TO VALIDLY LICENSED COPIES OF MICROSOFT LYNC OR SKYPE FOR BUSINESS SERVER OR OFFICE 365 / LYNC ONLINE / SKYPE FOR BUSINESS ONLINE AND WILL NOT WORK WITHOUT IT. UPDATES TO MICROSOFT LYNC SERVER OR SKYPE FOR BUSINESS MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PROPER PERFORMANCE. SOME FUNCTIONALITY MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE IN ALL COUNTRIES. IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY’S LICENSE TO AND/OR DEPLOYMENT OF LYNC OR SKYPE FOR BUSINESS, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR IT DEPARTMENT. SKYPE FOR BUSINESS APP IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR Android 4.0 OR GREATER.

Ratings and reviews

Pretty much what you would expect from Microsoft. Can't switch between devices. Occasionally you'll miss messages because MS routed to the wrong device. Basically, this is a mediocre, stripped-down version of AOL Instant Messenger from 10 years ago. If you have any sway in your company, try to push your IT Department towards something better. This software, and Office 365 in general, is an uncompetitive, overpriced piece of garbage that would be behind the times a decade ago.

The new update is even worse than the old one. Without giving the app every single permission it asks for, the app simply refuses to run with a pop-up "permissions required". And no, Skype for business certainly does not need the camera, contacts or calendar permissions to function. Yes, it needs those permissions if you want to make a video call, or call a personal contact in your phone with your work phone. But the problem is that work contacts come from exchange, not from my phone. And I never make video calls using the app. So, why does it require these permissions just to start the app? The old version worked just fine without these permissions either.

This program is not based on the Skype codebase. With real Skype, if someone sends me a message, it appears on every computer (including smartphones) that I am logged in with. With "Skype" for Business, it seems to try to guess which computer I am using (often incorrectly), and sends the message only to that one. Unfortunately, it's often incorrect, so I don't see the message until later. Also, if the message goes to my smartphone, I see a message preview, but if I tap it, the message isn't there. This is just another example of commercial, closed-source software working worse than free software.

What's new

Bug Fixes and Improvements