After nearly a quarter of a century, Skype is finally closing down, with Microsoft pointing its users to Microsoft Teams instead. This announcement was first spotted in a Skype for Windows preview but was soon officially confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) by the messaging app.

Microsoft Teams Did What Skype Could Do and so Much More

According to Skype’s post on X, it will no longer be available starting May 2025, and you can instead use Microsoft Teams Free for your messaging and internet calling needs.

Skype was the pioneer in online telephone communications when it launched in 2023, where it allowed users to make calls and send text messages online through the internet. At its peak, Skype boasted over 560 million registered users, with 124 million actively using the platform every month.

The messaging platform decided to go public by filing for an IPO in 2010. However, Microsoft instead made an $8.5-billion offer for the company in 2011, where it served as the software giant’s consumer messaging product. On the other hand, it also launched Microsoft Teams in 2016, which was designed for business and enterprise use.

Skype continued getting updated even after Teams launched, that’s why it received these neat Skype features you can use for your next call. However, Microsoft started slowly deprecating other features that aren’t popular anymore in recent years, like Skype Number getting shut down in December 2024.

That’s because Teams Free offers the same calling and messaging features that Skype has, but it also has other features that make it more useful. For example, it has calendar integration, making it easier to schedule and make plans, and there’s also the Communities feature which is similar to other collaboration apps like Google Chat or Slack.

However, we’ll also lose the dial-out feature on Skype, which allows you to call landline and cellular numbers directly from the app. Those who still have some credit remaining can still use them on the Skype web app or directly on Teams, but you cannot top-up your account anymore.

Those who still frequently use Skype don’t need to worry about losing their contacts, message history, and more. Microsoft is making it easy to move to Teams Free, as all you need to do is log into it with your Skype account details, and it will automatically transfer all your Skype data. And even after you’ve transferred your data to Teams Free, you can still use Skype until May 5, 2025.

But for those who do not want to use Microsoft Teams, you can still export your data from Skype by going to the Export files and chat history page on the Skype website. That way, you’ll still have a copy of your past conversations and files, even when the messaging app is no longer around.