So What's Happening with Skype?

Is Skype really shutting down?

Yes, it is.

Microsoft just announced Skype will completely shut down on 5th May 2025.

This means all those video calls, messages, and file sharing you've been doing on Skype will stop working.

You might be thinking, "What about all my contacts and chat history?" or "What if I have Skype credit?"

Don't worry.

We've got answers to all these questions below.

Why Is Microsoft Getting Rid of Skype?

Microsoft isn't just killing Skype for fun.

They're focusing on Teams now because that's where most people are going.

Here's what's actually happening:

1. Fewer people using Skype: The number of Skype users has dropped by about 27% in the last three years. Meanwhile, Teams now has over 320 million people using it every month.
2. Too many similar products: Microsoft doesn't want to keep updating two platforms that do mostly the same things.
3. Teams does more stuff: Teams works better for both work and personal use with more features than Skype ever had.

Microsoft's communications director put it simply: "Teams is the future, Skype had its time."

When Exactly Will Skype Stop Working?

Microsoft has a plan for shutting everything down:

• March 2025: You can't create new Skype accounts anymore
• April 2025: Paid stuff like Skype Number and calling credits stop working
• 5th May 2025: Complete shutdown — Skype stops working entirely

After 5th May, when you open Skype, it won't connect to anything.

It'll be completely dead.

How Will This Affect You?

If You Use Skype for Personal Stuff

You'll lose all your chat history and contacts unless you download them before the shutdown.

Microsoft will give you a tool to save all this stuff until June 2025.

Any Skype credit you have will be refunded.

If Your Business Uses Skype

You need to act faster.

Many companies still use Skype for Business, and it's going away too.

You should:

• Start planning what to use instead right now
• Save any important conversations
• Pick a new platform
• Get your team used to the new system before April 2025

If You Make Apps That Work with Skype

You'll need to change your apps to work with something else.

Microsoft says they'll help with this, but they haven't given much detail yet.

Using Teams Instead: A Chance to Update How You Work

If your company uses Skype, this is actually a good time to improve how you communicate.

Moving to Teams can make everything work better because:

1. Everything in one place: Teams puts chats, meetings, calls, and working on documents all in the same app.
2. Better for teamwork: You can edit documents together, manage projects, and add other apps Teams works with.
3. Less switching between apps: Having everything in one system saves time and reduces confusion.
4. Better security: Teams has stronger security and data protection than Skype ever did.
5. Works well for remote teams: As more people work from home, Teams has tools made just for that.

Some companies that switched from Skype to Teams saw huge improvements.

A UK bank with 2,500 employees found teams worked together 32% better and sent 45% fewer emails after switching to Teams.