Configure presence in Skype for Business Online

  • 2 minutes to read
  • Contributors
    • Tony Smith (MSFT)
    • Andres Mariano Gorzelany
    • Crystal Thomas
    • Duncan Mackenzie
    • alihirsch
  • Applies to:
    Skype for Business

By default, anyone who can communicate with one of the people in your organization using Skype for Business can also see whether that person is online. Skype for Business shows whether a person is available online, in a meeting, offline, or another indicator.

An example of a person's online status in Skype for Business.

As the admin for everyone in your business, you can choose who sees their online presence in Skype for Business.

sfb-logo-30x30.png Using the Skype for Business admin center

  1. Go to Office 365 admin center > Admin centers > Skype for Business.

  2. In the Skype for Business admin center, choose organization.

  3. Under presence privacy mode, select one of the following settings, and then choose Save.

Setting Who can view a user's presence
Automatically display presence information
Any Skype for Business user in your business who has not been added to a person's External or Blocked list will be able to see that person's online presence.
Display presence information only to a user's contacts
Anyone in a person's Contacts list who they have not added to their External or Blocked list.
Individuals can override your default settings in their Skype for Business app: Settings > Tools > Options.

For information about what your users can change in Skype for Business, see these articles:

Set up Skype for Business Online

Let Skype for Business users add Skype contacts