The Final Call Has Come For Skype, With The Well-Known Video App Officially Shutting Down
Published May 8, 2025
Key Highlights
Skype Shuts Down After Two Decades: Once a pioneer in online video calling, Skype officially ends service on May 5, 2025, marking the end of an era for digital communication.
Microsoft Pushes Teams as Replacement: Users are encouraged to switch to Microsoft Teams, a more feature-rich platform for messaging, video calls, and collaboration—available for both personal and work use.
Legacy of Global Connection: Launched in 2003, Skype connected millions worldwide and peaked at 300M users, revolutionizing internet communication before being overtaken by newer apps like Zoom and WhatsApp.
Skype, the app many people used for video calls for over 20 years, is saying goodbye for good after Monday.
It was one of the first tools that made it easy to talk face-to-face online, no matter where you were in the world.
Millions of people used it to connect with family, friends, and coworkers.
Now, it’s officially closing down after years of service.
Back in February, Microsoft (which owns Skype) shared that the app would only be working until May 5. They recommended users switch to Microsoft Teams, another free app that also lets people make video calls and chat. Teams have more features and are designed for both work and everyday communication.
This is part of Microsoft’s plan to bring everyone into one platform for all their messaging needs.
Jeff Teper, a Microsoft executive, said in a blog post post that Skype helped change the way people communicate. He said they’re proud to be part of so many important conversations and memories over the years. Even though Skype is ending, Microsoft still wants to help people stay connected, just through a newer app.
They’re hoping users will enjoy using Teams just as much as they did Skype.
Skype started way back in 2003, created by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis. At first, it let people make voice calls over the internet, then later added free video calls and messaging. It became super popular and helped people stay connected with friends, family, and coworkers all over the world. At one point, it had over 300 million users according to the Washington Post.
In 2005, eBay bought Skype for a huge amount, $2.6 billion. A few years later, it was sold to a group of investors, and then Microsoft bought it not long after. Skype became part of Microsoft’s communication tools, but the app kept changing over time. Still, it stayed familiar to people who used it for years.
But in recent years, Skype started losing users because of newer apps like Zoom, WhatsApp, and Slack. From around 40 million users in 2020, it went down to 36 million in 2023.
Now, Microsoft wants people to move to Microsoft Teams instead, which also lets you chat and do video calls.
The good news? You can move all your contacts and messages from Skype to Teams easily.
