Microsoft has revealed that Skype is shutting down for good after 22 years to focus more on Teams.
Skype first launched in 2003, several years after messaging apps like MSN Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, and more niche options like ICQ gained popularity as ways to talk to friends over the internet.
Microsoft’s MSN messenger was rebranded to Windows Live until the Seattle-based company purchased Skype in 2011 for a massive $8.5 billion in an effort to replace the aging Windows Live Messenger.
Now, on February 28, 2025, Microsoft has announced that Skype is shutting down for good.
Microsoft gives an end date for iconic Skype app
According to TechCrunch, Microsoft will shut down Skype for good on May 5, 2025, to focus more on building Microsoft Teams.
It’s unknown how many people will be impacted, but a blog post from 2023 revealed that more than 36 million people used Skype daily.
“We know this is a big deal for our Skype users, and we’re very grateful for their support of Skype and all the learnings that have factored into Teams over the last seven years,” said Jeff Teper, President of Microsoft 365 collaborative Apps and platforms. “At this point, putting all our focus behind Teams will let us give a simpler message and drive faster innovation.”
Those looking to migrate to Teams will be able to login to Teams with their Skype account, and all of their chats and contacts will migrate over automatically. TechCrunch also said that people will be able to export their data, but it’s unclear if they’ll be able to import it into an app other than Teams.
After news broke on social media, many took to the replies of posts to exclaim that Skype closing means Discord has “won” the battle of most popular messaging service.
“In the end, discord won the battle,” one user said.
Another commented: “R.I.P, discord really killed it.”
Discord launched back in 2015 and has taken the internet by storm since. The company continues to improve the app quite often as well, with the latest update including a privacy feature that fans have waited years for.
Content shared from www.dexerto.com.