(Credit: Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Farewell, Skype. Microsoft will shut down the once-popular video conferencing app on May 5, and is encouraging all existing customers to switch to Teams.
“In order to streamline our free consumer communications offerings so we can more easily adapt to customer needs, we will be retiring Skype in May 2025 to focus on Microsoft Teams, our modern communications and collaboration hub,” Microsoft said in a statement.
To facilitate the migration to Teams, Microsoft will soon allow users to sign in using Skype credentials. Once signed in, users will see all their Skype chats and contacts appear in Teams. This feature will initially be available to Teams and Skype insiders before expanding to others. Those who don’t want to use Teams can export their existing Skype data.
New customers will no longer be able to make and receive international and domestic calls using pay-as-you-go credit and subscriptions. Current subscribers, however, can use their credits and subscriptions until the end of their next renewal period. Skype Credit will also remain accessible until May 5. It’s unclear if Microsoft will refund any remaining credits after that date.
Skype was created by Niklas Zennström, Janus Friis, and four other Estonian developers. After its launch in 2003, the peer-to-peer video calling service gained widespread popularity since it let users talk to friends, family, or clients without paying extra long-distance charges.
By the fall of 2005, Skype had gained 40 million active users and was acquired by eBay for $2.6 billion. Microsoft then acquired the service in 2011 for $8.5 billion.
Ultimately, Skype lost ground to Zoom during the pandemic. When Microsoft retired Skype for Business in 2021, Skype’s days were already numbered.
“Skype has been an integral part of shaping modern communications and enabling countless meaningful moments, and we are honored to have been part of the journey,” Microsoft says.
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