Microsoft is retiring Skype on May 5 after 21 years, users will be shifted to Teams

Microsoft Skype

Microsoft has announced that it will shut down its video-calling platform, Skype, next week on May 5. Launched in 2003, Skype was among the most popular video-calling platforms in the last two decades, until the rise of WhatsApp and FaceTime for video calling, which increased competition, amid rapid advancements in communication technology.

Microsoft, through an official blog post, confirmed that Skype is being retired as part of its broader strategy to streamline its other communication platforms and focus on Microsoft Teams. The company stated: “In order to streamline our free consumer communications offerings so we can more easily adapt to customer needs, we will be retiring Skype in May 2025 to focus on Microsoft Teams (free), our modern communications and collaboration hub.”

Microsoft has also confirmed that existing Skype users will not face any major issues when migrating to Teams, as these Skype IDs can be used to log in and easily transfer chats and contacts on the Teams platform. This is one of the reasons why the company initially announced this decision earlier this year to give users ample time to make this transition.

Microsoft has also assured users that comprehensive support will be available throughout this migration process, and both platforms have similar features, so the transition won’t be that challenging.

With this announcement, Microsoft has halted the availability of paid Skype services for new users, which include Skype Credit and calling plans. However, current paid subscribers can continue to use their existing credit and active subscriptions through Teams. Microsoft has also clarified that any remaining Skype Credit services will still be available even after the service is discontinued. Paid users will also get access to previous premium services such as the Skype Dial Pad, either through the Skype web portal or within Microsoft Teams.