After more than two decades, Microsoft is pulling the plug on Skype, with the service officially shutting down on May 5, 2025. The news first surfaced when users discovered a hidden message in the HTML code of Skype for Windows, stating: “Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams.”
The move has been anticipated for years, with Microsoft shifting its focus to Teams, which has become the company’s flagship communication platform. Existing Skype users will be able to log in to the free version of Teams using their current credentials, with their contacts, group chats, and conversation history automatically transferred. However, one major Skype feature won’t be making it into Team—the ability to call landlines and mobile numbers.
Microsoft is also offering users the option to export their data, including chat history and photos, if they prefer to move on.
Skype’s decline has been gradual but undeniable. Once a dominant force in online communication, the service struggled to keep up with the rise of competitors like Zoom, FaceTime, and WhatsApp. Even during the surge in remote communication at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Skype failed to regain lost ground.
Microsoft originally acquired Skype for $8.5 billion in 2011, envisioning it as a core part of its ecosystem. But since the launch of Teams in 2017, the end of Skype was hardly a surprise.