- Microsoft will discontinue Skype in May 2025, urging users to switch to Teams.
- Skype’s user base has steadily declined despite a brief pandemic boost.
- Launched in 2003 and once a digital pioneer, Skype is now being retired.
Microsoft, the tech giant, is set to discontinue its iconic Skype service, a platform that once dominated online voice and video communication for over two decades.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that the company announced the move on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, urging users to switch to its free Microsoft Teams app.
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According to the official statement, “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.”
This marks the end of Skype 14 years after Microsoft acquired the service for $8.5 billion, which was the company’s largest cash acquisition at the time.
Following the acquisition, Skype was deeply integrated into Microsoft’s ecosystem, including its Office suite and the now-discontinued Windows Phone platform. Although Skype experienced a brief resurgence during the pandemic, it has struggled to compete with rivals like Zoom and Google Meet, leading to a gradual decline in its user base.
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Originally launched in 2003 in Estonia by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström—the co-founders of the peer-to-peer file-sharing platform Kazaa Skype began as an ambitious project by a group of former classmates with no prior telecommunications experience.
Its shutdown signals a significant shift in Microsoft’s approach to digital communication.
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