Microsoft has announced plans to discontinue Skype, bringing an end to the 21-year-old internet-based phone and video service that once dominated digital communication.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, the tech giant urged Skype users to transition to its free Microsoft Teams app.
“Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available. Over the coming days, you can sign in to Microsoft Teams Free with your Skype account to stay connected with all your chats and contacts. Thank you for being part of Skype,” the statement read.
The decision comes 14 years after Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion—its largest cash acquisition at the time—in a bid to strengthen its communication offerings. The company subsequently integrated Skype into its ecosystem, including Office and the now-defunct Windows Phone platform.
Despite a brief resurgence during the pandemic, Skype has struggled to compete with rivals like Zoom and Google Meet, leading to a steady decline in its user base in recent years.
Skype was founded in 2003 in Estonia by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström—co-founders of the peer-to-peer file-sharing platform Kazaa—alongside a group of former classmates with no prior experience in telecommunications.
