Skype officially shuts down after over two decades

In case you missed it, Skype ended its operations on May 5 after nearly two decades.

"As we say goodbye to Skype, we want to thank our incredible community. Over the years, you’ve connected with family, friends, and colleagues across the world," the online communication platform wrote on X on May 6.

"This isn’t the end—it’s a new beginning," it added.

Skype urged the public to use the free version of Microsoft Teams "and continue making great memories."

Skype was founded by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis in Estonia in 2003. It disrupted the landline industry as it allowed online audio and video calls worldwide. At the time, calls made through traditional phone companies can be expensive. It became an instant hit with users because of its greater accessibility, user-friendly interface, and, perhaps most importantly, free usage for the most part.

According to The Washington Post, it had over 300 million users during its heyday.

Though it eclipsed landline, it's only a matter of time before Skype, too, would become past its prime.

Over the years, many users complained of lags when using the app, especially when many users are logged onto a call. They also found the app clunky at times, the Post noted.

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced everybody to stay at home, there was a huge demand for online calls. People, however, flocked to video conferencing apps like Zoom, and Skype was left behind.

Skype was bought out by eBay in September 2005 for $2.5 billion and, in May 2011, was acquired by Microsoft for $8.5 billion.

Microsoft announced Skype's shutdown last Feb. 28, saying it will focus on Teams, which 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.

The company said users will be able to log into the free version of Teams with their old Skype accounts to continue staying connected to their past contacts.

Jeff Teper, 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.

Social media users walked down memory lane following Skype's shutdown.

“Goodbye folks. It’s been a long, productive relationship. To finding love, to interviewing for the first job and many many more,” a Reddit user said.

“Many memories were shared through late-night calls and laughter. You connected us across miles and time zones. Goodbye, old friend,” an X user said.

“Goodbye, Skype… You stuttered, you froze, and you disconnected… But, you served us well in times of need,” another X user said.

In his The Verge interview, Teper recalled Skype picking up numbers at the start of the pandemic. But the platform "has been pretty flat since."

In 2023, Microsoft said Skype had 36 million daily users.

"It's not shrunk in some dramatic way," he said. "It has been relatively flat over the last few years."