Send an instant message to one person

1. Locate the person you want to send an instant message to by finding their contact in Search or your Contacts list. Do one of the following:
   • Hover over their presence icon (square with color) in the Contacts list or search results and click the IM button in the shortcut menu.
     
   • Double-click anywhere on their contact listing.
   • Right-click their listing and select Send an IM.
2. Type your message at bottom of the conversation window.
   
3. Press Enter or Return on your keyboard or select the Send button to send the message.

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Answer an instant message

1. Click anywhere on the blue area of the IM request pane.
   
2. Type a response in the bottom of the conversation window.
   
3. Press Enter or Return on your keyboard or select the Send button to send the message.

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Share a file or image using instant message

To send a file or image, do one of the following:

• Drag-and-drop a saved file into the text input area of an instant message. Then, hit Enter or Return on the keyboard or select the Send button to send it.
• Copy and paste a saved file or any image from an Office program into the text input area.
• Press the PrtScn button on your keyboard to capture an image directly from your screen, and then paste it into the text input area.

TIP: If you are in a group IM conversation, share the image by saving it, then clicking the Presentation Icon > Attachments tab > Insert Files (the file will be sent an icon that the recipient transfers to their computer to view), or by pasting it to an interactive Whiteboard.

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Send an instant message to many people

You can send an instant message to multiple contacts using two methods:

• If they are in the same group. Right-click on the gray bar with the name of the group and select Send an IM.
• Hold down the Ctrl key and select multiple contacts or hold down the Shift key and select a series of contacts. Right-click and select Send and IM.

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Invite another contact to a conversation

Add others to the conversation by dragging their contact listing from your Contacts list into the conversation window or:

1. Select the Invite more people button .
2. Select contacts from your contact list or using the search option.
3. Select the contact from your contacts list or search for the contact by last name. 

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Send separate instant messages to different people

You can have separate instant message conversations with different people at the same time. For example, you might be sending instant messages to your manager in one conversation, while checking with another person or group in another conversation.

1. Start an instant message conversation using the steps above.
2. Without closing the existing conversation, repeat the steps above to start a completely new conversation with another contact, number, or group.

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Add voice to a conversation

You can quickly add audio to your IM conversation by selecting the Telephone Button . You can continue using Instant Message while you talk.

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Add video to a conversation

You can quickly add video to your IM conversation by selecting the Camera Icon . You can continue using Instant Message while you talk.

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End a conversation

When you’re done with an IM conversation, do the following:

1. Click the they grey X in the upper-right corner of the Conversation window.

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Conversation History

View previous conversations and missed messages

Skype for Business automatically saves your conversation history in Skype for Business and in an automatically generated folder in Outlook called Conversation History. If your conversation was an instant message, Skype for Business will save the entire conversation. With voice and video calls, Skype for Businessstores a log that the call happen and who was included. 

To view or continue a previous IM conversation or see an IM request you missed:

1. Near the top of the Skype for Business main window, click the Conversations view . 
2. Click All or Missed, depending on what you’re looking for. If you don’t see the conversation you’re looking for, click View More in Outlook, at the bottom of the list.
3. Double-click the conversation to view.
4. Right-click the conversation to delete or continue the conversation.

To view an IM conversation in Outlook:

1. Open Outlook on your computer or log in at mail.ku.edu⁵.
2. Look for a folder below your inbox called Conversation History.

You can delete conversations in Outlook just like you would an email. If you delete a Skype for Business conversation in Outlook, it will disappear in Skype for Business. 

TIP: You can file your conversations within folders in Outlook much like you would email. When you file a conversation, it will disappear from your Conversation History. You can avoid this by copying the message into the folder by holding down Ctrl and dragging and dropping the message into the folder.

To change your preferences on storing your Conversation History:

If someone else has review rights for your mailbox, they will be able to see your conversation history. You can change these settings and avoid having your conversation history in Outlook by:

1. Launch Skype for Business and go to Options .
2. Select Personal in the left navigation.
3. Deselect Save IM conversations in my email Conversation History folder and/or Save call logs in my email Conversation History folder.