After more than two decades of connecting people around the world, Skype is officially shutting down on Monday, May 5, 2025. Once the go-to app for free video calls and global communication, Skype is being retired by Microsoft, its parent company, in favor of a more modern alternative: Microsoft Teams. The announcement, made earlier this year, marks the end of an era for a platform that once defined online voice and video chat.
The shutdown will affect both free and paid Skype accounts, but Microsoft has a transition plan in place. Users of Skype for Business have already begun shifting into the Microsoft Teams ecosystem, where they’ll find a more robust suite of communication tools—including chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and real-time collaboration features. For individual users, the good news is that no contacts or conversations will be lost—as long as you act in time.
To ease the transition, Microsoft is allowing users to log into Microsoft Teams using their existing Skype credentials. Once signed in, users will find their chat history and contact list already waiting for them. This seamless migration is designed to preserve continuity and ensure users don’t lose access to important conversations.
However, for those who choose not to adopt Teams, Microsoft is offering a data export option. Users can download all of their Skype content—including messages and shared files—before the data is permanently deleted. You’ll have until January 2026 to do this. After that deadline, all Skype data will be erased from Microsoft’s servers. If users choose to sign into Microsoft Teams Free before that date, their chat and call history will remain available.
Exporting Skype data is a straightforward process. Users simply need to visit the Skype Export Page, sign in with their Microsoft account, and select whether they want to download conversations, files, or both. Once the request is submitted, Microsoft will prepare the data for download. When it’s ready, users can return to the site and retrieve their archive with one click.
So, what led to Skype’s downfall? At one time, Skype was a digital powerhouse. Its early success prompted Microsoft to integrate it deeply across Windows, mobile devices, and even Xbox consoles. The tech giant once envisioned a billion-strong user base. However, a series of design overhauls, sluggish performance, and bloated updates steadily eroded user satisfaction. The final blow came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when leaner, more user-friendly platforms like Zoom, Discord, Slack, and Webex captured the global remote-working boom.
By 2025, Skype’s monthly active users had plummeted to roughly 23 million—a dramatic fall from its peak of 150 million in 2011 and a far cry from the 400 million registered users it once claimed.
As Skype fades into tech history, it leaves behind a legacy that helped shape modern online communication. Whether you’re moving to Teams or exploring alternatives like Zoom or Slack, the time to act is now. Don’t wait until 2026 to safeguard your digital history.
