Microsoft has officially shut down Skype, ending the iconic messaging and calling platform that’s been around since 2003. The company, which acquired Skype back in 2011, announced earlier this year that the app would be phased out, and that day has come. As of May 5, Skype is now retired. In recent years, Microsoft has shifted its attention to Teams, a platform that’s grown rapidly in popularity, especially in professional settings. The company provided tools to let users export their Skype chat history to Teams to ease the transition.
While Microsoft hasn’t shared exact numbers on how many users are affected, their 2023 data showed Skype still had over 36 million users. Meanwhile, Teams had exploded in growth, with over 320 million active users each month globally.
This move is widely seen as a push to consolidate Microsoft’s communication tools under one umbrella. The latest version of the Teams app is reportedly twice as fast and uses 50% less storage space, reinforcing Microsoft’s commitment to improving the platform. Still, it remains to be seen how former Skype users will adapt. With many alternatives available, including Zoom, WhatsApp, Google Meet, and others, Microsoft Teams will have to continue proving its value in an increasingly competitive space.