Microsoft Skype is No More

The day has finally come—following an initial announcement that it will discontinue Skype, Microsoft has now officially discontinued its legacy video-calling service. Originally launched back in 2003, Microsoft acquired Skype later on in 2011 to replace its then-older Windows Live Messenger.

The company now says that Skype users will be able to switch over to Microsoft Teams instead using their Skype account details. This will include users’ credentials, their contacts list, as well as chat history. Furthermore, Skype users have a deadline up until January 2026 to export their data—failure to do so will result in permanent data loss.

Microsoft’s decision to retire Skype comes as part of a strategy to focus on its Teams video conferencing service. Part of the company’s original announcement reads:

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 (free), our modern communications and collaboration hub.

With Teams, users have access to many of the same core features they use in Skype, such as one-on-one calls and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. Additionally, Teams offers enhanced features like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and building and joining communities for free.

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