Microsoft is officially decommissioning Skype on May 5, bringing to an end one of the most iconic video calling platforms since the dawn of the Internet. After more than 20 years of operation, the company is encouraging users to switch to Microsoft Teams, which will now become the primary tool for communication and collaboration.
This change will affect both free and paid Skype users, but not Skype for Business.
Skype users will have the option to switch to Microsoft Teams Free, which offers many of the same core features and more. Sign in to Microsoft Teams Free on any supported device with your Skype credentials and your contacts and chats will be automatically migrated. You’ll also receive a notification in the Skype app prompting you to take steps to migrate your data.
“If you don’t want to use Microsoft Teams Free, you can export your Skype data,” the company said in a statement.
Existing Skype calling and number subscriptions will continue to be automatically renewed until April 3, 2025. After May 2025, the Skype dialer will be available to all other paid users on the Skype web portal and in Teams Free. To port your Skype number, contact your new carrier or learn more here.
“In addition, we will no longer offer paid Skype features to new customers, including Skype Credit and subscriptions that allow you to make and receive international and domestic calls,” the company added.
What will happen to user data on Skype?
When you sign in to Microsoft Teams Free, Skype will ask you to migrate your data.
Microsoft claims that this migration usually takes less than a minute.
However, not all chats will be migrated. The following types of messages will not be migrated:
- Conversations between Skype users and their work or school Teams accounts
- Chats between Skype and Skype for Business users
- One-on-one chats with yourself
- Private conversations
- Messages from bots or Copilot
Please note that Teams Free doesn’t support bots and Copilot, so their old messages won’t appear either.
Since its debut in 2003, Skype has changed the video calling landscape, becoming an important tool for both personal and professional use around the world. However, its popularity has waned as more sophisticated, business-oriented platforms have emerged.
Microsoft’s decision to abandon Skype signals a shift to Microsoft Teams, a platform that is better integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem and better suited to the ever-growing needs of digital communication and collaboration.
