After over twenty years as a leader in online calling, Skype will officially cease operations on May 5, 2025, as Microsoft pivots entirely to Teams for communication. This transition allows users only ten weeks to prepare their data migration.

The decline of Skype has been noticeable over the years, especially after Microsoft acquired the platform in 2011. A change became apparent in 2016 with the launch of Teams, designed to unify messaging, video calls, and third-party applications for a more comprehensive platform. Initial efforts to position Teams alongside Skype have now culminated in a decisive focus on Teams as the primary communications tool.

To assist users, Microsoft will provide options to transfer contacts and chat histories from Skype to Teams, and an integrated export feature will be available for downloading Skype data. Despite the shift, remaining Skype credit will still be usable within Teams.

By the last report in 2023, Skype had merely 36 million active users, a stark contrast to its peak of 300 million. “We know this change will be significant for our Skype users and are grateful for their continued support,” stated Jeff Teper.

“We’ve learned a lot from Skype over the years that we’ve applied to Teams as we evolved,” said Teper, emphasizing the need for innovation through streamlined focus.