After more than 22 years of service, Skype is set to shut down on May 5, transitioning users to Microsoft Teams, which is more tailored for business communication. A recent preview revealed a line of code stating, “Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available.”

Microsoft’s official announcement was made via their blog titled, The Next Chapter: Moving from Skype to Microsoft Teams.

The blog explains the transition process to Teams and mentions it’s possible to export data from Skype, but it does not detail how to do so.

While it’s clear that Microsoft is ending Skype, the specifics are still vague. We don’t yet know if users can access the app post-shutdown or simply won’t be able to download it anymore.

For those migrating to Teams, soon users will have the option to log in using their existing Skype credentials for a seamless transition, allowing for conversations to continue.

This move will provide users with a free Microsoft Teams account which features group calling limited to 60 minutes and allows chats and 5 GB of storage, although longer call times will require a paid account—a change from Skype’s previous offerings.

Overall, while Teams is designed for a more professional usage scenario, many users, including myself, may not miss Skype too much due to the rise of alternative platforms like Zoom and Discord.

One aspect I will miss is the unique ringer sound associated with Skype. While Teams offers a similar sound profile, it isn’t identical. Moreover, changing the ringtone on Teams is only possible with a paid subscription, which wasn’t necessary on Skype.

So long, Skype, and thank you for the many memories.