Making Teams the default conversation app in Outlook

[Jacques Alexandre Bergeron]

When you mouse over a user in Outlook you have a icon the start a new of conversation. This automatically open Skype. Is there a way this open Teams instead?

[#2 · Accepted solution]

You can but you must be on Teams only mode for this to work and a newish office build 1810+

[#3]

I am in TeamsOnly mode and if I go to settings on desktop client (my photo, settings) I can see a checkbox for this option "Register Teams as the chat app for Office (requires restarting Office applications)" If you can see this option, then check it on :) And you need a recent Office build too like Chris stated. I can't check at the moment if this requires the TeamsOnly mode too (but I suspect it will - again like Chris said).

[#4]

Not so sure it does require teams only! I’ve set this option a while ago and was on island mode and had this working!

[#5]

Can’t find any documentation or release note about this feature. Do you have any reference I can read on this?

[#6]

@Jacques Alexandre Bergeron 

You can make Teams your chap app for Outlook without being on teams-only. The setting however is found in Teams, not in Outlook.

Teams Screenshot

In Teams, click on your User Account Icon (photo or avatar) to the top right in the title bar.

Click Settings.

Check the "Register Teams as the chat app for Office" checkbox.

Restart Outlook and Hey Presto! You can now click the Conversation icon and it starts Teams!

[#7]

@Chris Webb 

what about with Outlook Mac? I am using outlook in macOS but cannot set up Teams with macOS. The presence of IM is not visible at my Outlook for macOS. is it possible to get teams presence in outlook? if so can you please guide me on how I can get it done? 

[#8]

@Vesa Nopanen How can this be done organization-wide?

[#9]

@Angrydot Check this script out for that https://www.lee-ford.co.uk/change-teams-to-the-default-im-app-by-using-a-script/

[#10]

Thanks, this works for Outlook 365, but not for OWA- I'm still seeing the Skype icon in the browser, any idea on how to fix that?

[#11]

hi Dean, i'm have the same problem. Did you found a solution for this?

[#12]

no, i have not

[#13]

@Jacques Alexandre Bergeron 

Teams allows you to set it as the default IM client directly from within its Settings dialog.

1. Select your initials in the top-right corner.  Go to Settings > General.  Check the box next to Register Teams as the chat app for Office (requires restarting Outlook and Teams)see screenshot: 

[#14]

Thanks, that fixed the issue for Outlook 365 but not for OWA

[#15]

@Dean Gross 

the problem for us was the coexistence mode: once we changed it to Teams-only, the problem was solved.

This setting can be changed organisation-wide but can also be overruled on a user level, so you have to check that as well.

For island mode, it should be possible to change this with powershell with set-csteamsmeetingpolicy

 and -PreferredMeetingProviderForIslandsMode

Set-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy (SkypeForBusiness) | Microsoft Docs

but i have no experience with this since our setting is now Teams-only