Skype, a Pioneer in Video Calling, to Close in May 2025
Microsoft has announced that Skype, the video-calling service that connected hundreds of millions of people worldwide, will be discontinued in May. Once a dominant force in online communication, Skype’s closure marks the end of an era.
Initially released in 2003, Skype gained popularity by offering free computer-to-computer voice calls. This innovation helped to popularize the concept of internet-based communication, preceding the era of smartphones and ubiquitous video calls.
In a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, Skype encouraged users to switch to Microsoft Teams, where they can continue to connect with their contacts and access their chat history. Microsoft has not issued an immediate comment on the news.
Tech giant Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion (£6.1 billion). It was the company’s largest acquisition at the time; Skype was subsequently integrated into other Microsoft products, including Windows devices and the Xbox console.
Industry analyst Om Malik, in December 2010, described Skype as one of the “key applications of the modern web” during a period in which Skype experienced a global outage.
Users Reflect on Skype’s Impact
Following news of Skype’s closure, current and former users shared their memories of the platform. Many recalled using it for video calls and the impact it had on connecting with family and friends across distances. Several users expressed sadness at the closure, reflecting fondly on the role Skype played in their lives.
One user, Louise, told the BBC that she and her partner used the service to stay in touch during a long-distance relationship. She added, “Skype was such an exciting invention at the time – before smartphones and WhatsApp calls… it’s so easy to assume that we’ve always been able to freely talk to people across the world but that’s such a recent development really.”
Anna Simpson from Cedarwood Digital, a digital marketing firm, reminisced on LinkedIn about video-calling her grandparents, who had moved to France. She wrote, “Back then, it felt like magic… there were no dodgy international call charges, just a quick dial-up and some pixelated faces keeping us connected… Skype led the way for video calls. But now it’s officially done.”
Microsoft’s Strategic Shift
At the time of Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype, the app had been downloaded a billion times and had hundreds of millions of users. However, Skype’s popularity declined as competitors like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger gained traction. In 2017, Microsoft redesigned Skype, an update that was not well-received by users prompting Rachel Kaser, a reporter at The Next Web, to note that users were annoyed because the company was, “fixing something that was never broken to begin with.”
As Microsoft developed and integrated Microsoft Teams it became the preferred platform for work and personal meetings. According to Jeff Teper, Microsoft’s president of collaborative apps and platforms, the company is consolidating its free services, focusing on Teams where users can access core features like one-on-one and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. Teams also provides expanded features like meeting hosting, calendar management, and community building.
Skype users now have the option of migrating to Microsoft Teams. They can also export their Skype data, including chats, contacts, and call history. Customers who have paid for certain Skype features will be able to utilize their service until their next renewal period.
