Microsoft is pulling the plug on Skype to streamline communication

Say goodbye to Skype. Microsoft has confirmed it will shut down the video calling and messaging service on May 5, 2025.

The Redmond-based tech company is going to focus its efforts on Microsoft Teams. It has many of the same features as Skype, but also offers enhanced features like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and building and joining communities for free.

“Hundreds of millions of people already use Teams as their hub for teamwork, helping them stay connected and engaged at work, school, and at home. In the past two years, the number of minutes spent in meetings by consumer users of Teams has grown 4X, reflecting the value Teams brings to everyday communication and collaboration,” says Jeff Teper, President Collaborative Apps and Platforms at Microsoft, in a company blog post.

Microsoft encourages Skype users to switch to Microsoft Teams. By logging in to Teams with a Skype account, chats and contacts will automatically appear in the app. Users can just pick up where they left off. Next, they can export their Skype data to Teams, including chats, contacts, and call history.

Starting immediately, Microsoft will no longer offer paid Skype features to new customers. Current Skype subscription users can still use their Skype Credits and subscriptions until the end of their next renewal period. After May 5, 2025, the Skype Dial Pad will be available to remaining paid users from the Skype web portal and within Teams.

Skype was first released in August 2003. Two years later, in September 2005, it was acquired by eBay for $2.6 billion. In May 2011, Microsoft bought Skype for $8.5 billion and used it to replace their Windows Live Messenger.

Microsoft introduced its chat service Teams in 2016 and has been increasingly focusing on it ever since. In 2017, Microsoft came up with plans to phase out the enterprise version of Skype, which was finalized in 2021. That same year, Teams became the integrated chat service within Windows 11 by default, slowly pushing aside Skype.