How to Move a Hybrid User to Teams Only Mode
Question details
A user in a hybrid Microsoft 365 environment needs to be transitioned from Skype for Business to Teams Only mode.
- Product
- Microsoft Teams
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- An administrator needs to update a hybrid user's coexistence mode because the user currently appears as a Skype contact rather than a Teams user.
- Observed behavior
- The user appears as a Skype contact instead of a Teams user due to lingering on-premises Skype for Business attributes.
Ensure you have Microsoft 365 Global Administrator or Teams Administrator privileges and access to your on-premises Active Directory management tools.
Review Coexistence Policies and Request Microsoft Support
Because hybrid environments involve complex identity synchronization and server-side configurations, reviewing current tenant policies and engaging Microsoft Support is the recommended path.
In a hybrid Microsoft 365 deployment, users with on-premises Skype for Business accounts may retain certain identity attributes (such as msRTCSIP attributes) that force incoming communications to route to Skype instead of Teams. Moving these synced users to Teams Only mode typically requires clearing or updating these on-premises attributes before modifying the Teams upgrade policy.
Ensure the affected user is assigned a valid Microsoft Teams license in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center before attempting any coexistence mode changes.
Access your on-premises Active Directory and review the user's properties. Look for remaining msRTCSIP attributes, particularly the 'msRTCSIP-DeploymentLocator', which may be forcing the Skype routing.
Navigate to the Microsoft Teams admin center. Go to 'Teams' and then 'Teams upgrade settings' to verify the current coexistence mode applied to the organization and the specific user.
Since moving hybrid users often requires complex server-side changes or specialized PowerShell commands, open a ticket with Microsoft Teams administration support or post your coexistence settings in the official Teams support forum for guided assistance.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a Microsoft Teams user still show up as a Skype contact?
This commonly occurs in hybrid environments where the user's on-premises Active Directory still contains Skype for Business attributes. These attributes synchronize to Microsoft 365 and instruct the system to route communications to Skype rather than Teams.
Can I force a hybrid user into Teams Only mode using PowerShell?
While administrators can use the 'Grant-CsTeamsUpgradePolicy' cmdlet, it will often fail for directory-synced hybrid users unless the on-premises Skype attributes have been properly decommissioned or migrated to point to Microsoft 365.
How long does it take for Teams Only mode changes to take effect?
After updating on-premises attributes and running an Azure AD Connect sync, it can take anywhere from a few hours to 24 hours for the new Teams Only coexistence routing to fully propagate across all Microsoft 365 services.
Will moving a user to Teams Only mode delete their existing Skype for Business meetings?
If the Meeting Migration Service (MMS) is enabled in your tenant, moving a user to Teams Only mode will automatically convert their existing Skype for Business meetings into Microsoft Teams meetings.
