When was the last time you held a Skype call? After more than 21 years, Skype will soon be no more. Recently, some users visited the latest Skype preview update and noticed as-yet-unsurfaced text that read, "Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams." Microsoft has confirmed that it is true. May 5, 2025, will end Skype's long run.
Along with verifying that the end is coming, Microsoft shared details about how it plans to migrate Skype users. Starting soon, some Skype users (those in Teams and Skype Insider) can log in to Teams using their Skype credentials. More people will gain that ability over the next few days.
Microsoft claims that users who do this will see their existing contacts and chats from Skype in Teams from the start. Alternatively, users who do not want to do this can export their Skype data, specifically contacts, call history, and chats. Skype and Teams users can chat with or call one another cross-platform until Skype is finally deprecated.
There is the matter of Skype users who have paid for services. Current subscribers to Skype's premium service will remain active until the end, and Microsoft will no longer take new sign-ups. Users with Skype Credits will ideally want to use their credits; Microsoft says the Skype Dial Pad will remain active via a web interface and inside Teams after the May 5 deadline for people to continue using those credits.
Skype is a significant part of the history of tech and telecommunications. Skype for Business was closed,and though Skype was initially bundled with Windows 10, Windows 11 bundled Teams instead. This is not the only classic 2000-era messaging service to close in the past year. ICQ, which many readers might have been surprised to know still existed, was turned off in June 2024.
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