Remembering Skype After 22 Years

1. Skype shuts down on May 5 after nearly 22 years as a pioneer in internet voice and video communication.
2. Microsoft shifts focus to Teams, encouraging users to transition before data is permanently deleted in January 2026.
3. Skype for Business remains available temporarily, while personal users can access their chats and contacts through Teams.

After nearly 22 years of connecting people worldwide, Skype will officially shut down on May 5, bringing a close to one of the earliest and most influential internet communication platforms. Launched in 2003, Skype transformed the way people connected by offering free voice and video calls over the internet—long before such services became commonplace.

At its peak in the mid-2010s, Skype boasted more than 300 million monthly users and played a key role in making international communication more accessible and affordable. The platform became especially popular for long-distance family chats, business meetings, and even job interviews, paving the way for the video calling norms that exist today.

Skype’s decline began after Microsoft acquired the platform for $8.5 billion in 2011. Despite early integration efforts, Skype lost ground to newer, faster-growing competitors such as WhatsApp, Zoom, and Microsoft’s own Teams. Microsoft ultimately decided to retire Skype to streamline its communication services and concentrate on Teams as its unified collaboration platform.

The closure affects both free and paid Skype users. However, Skype for Business will remain operational for a limited time. Microsoft has advised users to switch to Teams using the “Start using Teams” feature on skype.com. The transition aims to maintain continuity by allowing access to existing chats and contacts through the same login credentials.

Users have until January 2026 to download or migrate their data before permanent deletion. With the shutdown, Skype becomes a part of digital history, remembered as a groundbreaking tool that helped shape the modern era of online communication.