Farewell, Skype: Microsoft Shuts Down the App After 22 Years
Microsoft officially discontinued Skype on May 5, 2025, after 22 years of operation. The decision aims to focus efforts on Microsoft Teams, which offers enhanced communication and collaboration features.
Farewell, Skype: Microsoft Shuts Down the App After 22 Years
Microsoft officially discontinued Skype on May 5, 2025, after 22 years of operation. The decision aims to focus efforts on Microsoft Teams, which offers enhanced communication and collaboration features.
Microsoft announced the discontinuation of Skype on May 5, 2025, marking the end of an era for the video conferencing app launched in 2003. The decision was driven by users' growing preference for more modern and integrated platforms, such as Microsoft Teams, which now becomes the company's primary focus.
Skype users were encouraged to migrate to Teams using the same credentials, allowing automatic transfer of contacts and chat history. However, phone calls and some specific data were not migrated, requiring special attention from users wishing to preserve this information.
Skype, which once had over 300 million active monthly users at its peak, saw its user base decline significantly in recent years, especially with the rise of competitors like Zoom, WhatsApp, and Teams itself.
Microsoft expressed gratitude to Skype users and emphasized that the transition to Teams represents a step toward a more robust communication platform tailored to current needs.
Migration to Teams: Users can access Microsoft Teams with their Skype credentials. Contacts and chat history are transferred automatically.
Non-Migrated Data: Phone calls and some specific data are not migrated automatically. Users should manually export this data by January 2026.
Skype for Business: The enterprise version of Skype will continue operating temporarily, but Microsoft recommends transitioning to Teams.