Tech
Microsoft says goodbye to Skype: the application will be closed in 2025, but already has a replacement
Skype, one of the most important chat, video and voice calling applications of all time, is saying goodbye: Microsoft will shut it down in May this year.
After more than two decades in business, Skype is saying goodbye for good. Microsoft has confirmed that the iconic chat and video calling application will no longer be available as of May 2025. Although its demise has been a foregone conclusion for years, the company has occasionally surprised its dwindling user base with updates to keep the platform alive. This time, however, there will be no renewal; Skype is shutting down for good, making way for the platform on which Microsoft has all its chips: Teams.
Chronicle of a predicted death: Skype will shut down in May 2025, and Microsoft Teams will take its place
Microsoft has confirmed that Skype will no longer be available as of May 2025, marking the end of an era for one of the most important communications applications ever created. Launched in 2003 and acquired by Microsoft in 2011, Skype has been one of the most popular video calling platforms for years, but its relevance has faded over time. Despite numerous updates and redesigns, the Redmond company has finally decided to pull the plug, encouraging users to migrate to Microsoft Teams to stay in touch with the people in their address book.
The signs of Skype’s demise have been evident for years. Microsoft prioritized Teams as its primary communications platform, integrating it directly into Windows 11 and promoting it for both business and personal use. While Skype continued to receive sporadic updates, its exit was only a matter of time.
A message on the latest version of Skype for Windows and the application’s official website confirms the decision: “Skype is retiring in May 2025. Beginning March 2025, you will be able to sign into Microsoft Teams Free with your Skype credentials, and your chats and contacts will be right there ready for you. Enjoy the features you love about Skype, including free calling and messaging, as well as new features like meetings and communities, all on Teams app.”
Skype’s path within the Microsoft ecosystem has been full of ups and downs. After the acquisition, the company tried to integrate it into Windows 10 with separate applications for calling, messaging, and video conferencing, but those changes were reversed in less than a year.Skype then became a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) application, but Microsoft abandoned that format and returned to the classic desktop version. Meanwhile, in 2017, Microsoft Teams, a platform built on top of Skype, was launched and quickly became a priority for the company.
The final shutdown of Skype in May 2025 marks the end of an era for one of the most influential communications applications of the first decade of the 2000s. After the demise of Windows Live Messenger, Skype took over as Microsoft’s star platform for messaging and video calling, becoming a benchmark in its category. However, the evolution of the market and the company’s firm commitment to Teams have finally pushed it into oblivion.Its disappearance symbolizes not only the end of an iconic service, but also the constant change in the way we communicate. Today, just as Skype replaced Messenger, it is the turn of Microsoft Teams.
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