How To Get Chrome To Open Skype For Business When Clicking On A Lync Url

Question

Just got switched over to "Skype for Business" today. I have a standing meeting with an external client that I connect using a standard Lync meeting url: https://meet.TheirInHostName.com/FirstName.LastName/SoMeUnIqUeCoDe

Normally I go to the meeting by clicking on bookmark I have of the url, and a page pops up saying it's connective via Lync, while my Lync client starts to connect to the meeting. Now that I don't have Lync, it gives me the Lync Web App page:

But, if I paste the link into Internet Explorer, Skype for Business opens correctly.

How do I get Chrome to do what IE does? Attempting to install the Lync Web App Plugin doesn't seem to work.

Solution 1

I stumbled upon this today my self in our organisation and had to Enable NPAPI in the Chrome browser.

The reason for this is because April the 14th Chrome update disabled this plugin by default. TechNet Blog

To do this, follow these steps:

Enter the following URL into the Chrome address bar:

1. Chrome://Flags/#enable-npapi
2. Click the Enable link to enable NPAPI support.
3. Restart the browser.
4. Click the meeting invitation link.
5. Enable the plugin for the meeting join domain by using the dialog box that follows the plugin warning message.

Note This step is required for each unique meeting join domain, depending on the company that hosts the meeting.

This is taken from Microsoft KB 3057679 Hope this helps you to as it did for us.

Solution 2

NPAPI support in Chrome is now long gone, so we need to try an old browser like Internet Explorer. If pasting the meeting link into IE opens the meeting in the Skype/Lync client, then try this:

1. Install 'IE Tab' from the chrome store. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ie-tab/hehijbfgiekmjfkfjpbkbammjbdenadd
2. Go to 'IE Tab' options and in the Auto URLs section, add the beginning part of your meeting url like this and add a * at the end: https://lync.companyname.com/*

Now when you click a meeting link, it'll first open it in chrome, but then will redirect the link to IE.

Solution 3

You can also join the meetings directly from Lync, without the need for a web browser. Try the command

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\lync.exe" conf:sip:https://meet.theirinhostname.com/FirstName.LastName/SoMeUnIqUeCoDe

You can make a desktop shortcut for it.

Comments

[Ramhound]

Have you tried creating a new meeting url and trying that? You should be able to this internally shouldn't need an external client to do it.

[Daryl]

@Ramhound, it's their meeting url. I can't create a new one.

[Ramhound]

Yes; I understand that. You should be able to create a meeting url with yourself as a test. One of two things is going one. I suspect the plugin just as to be updated.

[Daryl]

@Ramhound the Lync Web App plugin?

[Ramhound]

Yes; I suspect the incapability with Chrome is because the plugin has not been updated to support Skype for Business. Have you verified there isn't a "Skype for Business Web App" plugin that perhaps was released?

[Daryl]

Just found this: blogs.technet.com/b/scottstu/archive/2015/04/16/… I'll trouble shoot...

[John Bustos]

Any new solutions to this? It's back to not working :/

[Daryl]

@JohnBustos I've got nothing new.

[Ramhound]

I wouldn't have never thought the plugin was NPAPI . The good news its very likely the plugin will be updated. This workaround will only work until September 2015, so if you must use this plugin at that point, disable Chrome updates by the end of Aug.

[John Bustos]

Any new solutions to this? It's back to not working :/

[Datmocc]

@JohnBustos I know it's not via Chrome but you can join the meeting via the Skype for Business (Lync) program on your computer. Open the program and little icon that looks like a calendar, from there you can join the meeting. link