Microsoft is discontinuing its Skype video conferencing service, with a final shutdown date set for May 5, 2025. Users are being encouraged to transition to a free version of Microsoft Teams.
Skype’s demise, which Microsoft acquired in 2011 for $8.5 billion, was announced on the app’s official X (formerly Twitter) account. The application, which initially launched in 2003, gained popularity for its ease of use and ability to bypass traditional telephone charges. However, the rise of smartphones and competing apps such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams led to a decline in Skype’s user base.
Jeff Teper, President of Microsoft 365 collaborative apps and platforms, said in an interview with CNBC, “We’ve learned a lot from Skype over the years that we’ve put into Teams as we’ve evolved teams over the last seven to eight years.” He added, “But we felt like now is the time because we can be simpler for the market, for our customer base, and we can deliver more innovation faster just by being focused on Teams.”
To facilitate the transition, Microsoft is offering a streamlined process for users to move their data from Skype to a free version of Teams, preserving photos and conversation history. Microsoft has also developed a tool to view existing Skype chat history during migration. The telephone function, a prominent feature of Skype since its inception, is also effectively being phased out.
Users have until the shutdown date to decide whether to switch to Teams. Detailed instructions on how to transfer data can be found on the official Microsoft website.
