Microsoft to shut down Skype in May

PanARMENIAN.Net - Microsoft has officially confirmed that Skype will be discontinued on May 5. Until then, users will have the option to transition to Teams or export their data before the service ceases to function.

Skype’s fate has been uncertain for years, with periodic updates keeping it afloat. However, this time, Microsoft has no plans for another revival, as the company is permanently shutting it down. The suggested alternative is Teams, according to xda-developers.com.

A keen observer first spotted a message in the latest Skype for Windows preview, later verified by XDA, which states: "Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams." The message is followed by a note mentioning that some of the user's contacts have already switched to Teams' free version.

Skype debuted in 2003, and Microsoft acquired it in 2011. A few years later, the company phased out its in-house communication tools, such as Windows Live Messenger, and attempted to integrate Skype into Windows 10 in 2015.

That integration, however, was short-lived. Microsoft initially introduced separate apps for messaging, video calls, and phone calls, only to remove them in the next update. By 2016, a UWP version of Skype was introduced as part of Microsoft's shift from Win32 applications—only for the company to abandon UWP and revert to Win32 later on.

The introduction of Teams in 2017 marked a significant shift. Built on Skype’s infrastructure, the platform was designed to compete with Slack, and Microsoft has aggressively promoted it ever since. Given this push, many expected Skype to be discontinued years ago—especially when Skype for Business was retired. Yet, each time an update arrived, users were left wondering, "Is Microsoft still investing in this?"

Skype never achieved the dominance Microsoft had hoped for, facing competition from Apple's FaceTime, Google's numerous chat services, and the downfall of Microsoft's own mobile platform. When Windows 11 launched in 2021, it came with integrated Teams support, much like Windows 10 had initially done with Skype. That shift was a strong indicator of Skype’s uncertain future.

Now, the final decision has been made. As May approaches, users will likely start seeing in-app notifications about the shutdown.