Microsoft is shutting down Skype in May
Skype is officially retiring after over 20 years.
Microsoft announced in a Feb. 28 blog post that Skype is shutting down on May 5, 2025 to focus on Microsoft Teams, its communication and collaboration platform.
On X, the tech company said that Skype users will be able to log into Microsoft Teams Free with their old accounts to continue staying connected to their past contacts.
Jeff Teper, the president of Microsoft 365 collaborative apps and platforms, told tech news site The Verge that users can also bring photos and conversation history to Teams.
Meanwhile, paid Skype features, including Skype Credit and subscriptions, will no longer be available. Those who are subscribed to paid features may still use them until the end of their next renewal period. After May 5, the Skype Dial Pad will still be available for paid users.
Skype was first founded in 2003, disrupting the landline industry as it allowed online audio and video calls worldwide. The Estonian company was bought out by eBay in September 2005 for $2.5 billion and later acquired by Microsoft in May 2011 for $8.5 billion. Over the years, the platform offered free messaging services and a mobile app.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people flocked to video conferencing apps like Zoom over Skype. "The Skype userbase actually grew at the beginning of the pandemic, and has been pretty flat since," Teper told The Verge. "It's not shrunk in some dramatic way. It has been relatively flat over the last few years."
"We hope we'll migrate most Skype users... but we want to make sure the users know they're in control."
Teams offers Skype's core features, such as one-on-one and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. It also lets users host meetings and manage calendars within the app.
"Skype has been an integral part of shaping modern communications and supporting countless meaningful moments, and we are honored to have been part of the journey," Teper said.
