Skype officially shuts down after 22 years

On its website, Microsoft posted a farewell message: "Goodbye Skype, hello Teams," noting that Skype users can continue using their existing login details on Microsoft Teams, its flagship video conferencing and collaboration platform launched in 2017.

"Your chats and contacts will be right there ready for you," the announcement said. "Enjoy the features you love about Skype, including free calling and messaging, as well as new features like meetings and communities, all on Teams app."

Founded in 2003 by a group of engineers in Tallinn, Estonia, Skype pioneered internet-based telephone calls, replacing traditional landlines. It relied on Voice Over Internet Protocol technology, which converts audio into a digital signal transmitted online. The service expanded to include video calls after eBay acquired Skype in 2005.

A 3D printed Skype logo is placed in front of a keyboard in this illustration taken April 12, 2020. Photo by Reuters

When Microsoft purchased Skype from eBay in 2011, the platform had about 170 million users globally, according to then-CEO Steve Ballmer. "The Skype brand has become a verb, nearly synonymous with video and voice communications," Ballmer said.

However, Skype’s popularity has waned in recent years, despite a surge in usage during the pandemic that boosted competitors like Zoom, Google Meet, and Cisco Webex. It also faced growing competition from apps such as Apple’s FaceTime and Meta’s WhatsApp. Furthermore, Microsoft has heavily invested in Teams, which offers many of the same services, as reported by CNN. The company reports that Skype now has 30 million monthly users, just a tenth of its peak number.

In a blog post, Jeff Teper, Microsoft’s president of collaborative apps and platforms, reflected: "Skype has been an integral part of shaping modern communications and supporting countless meaningful moments, and we are honoured to have been part of the journey."

As Skype shuts down, users can save their chat history by visiting the Export page and accessing their Skype history via Sign in > Select data > Send request. Skype will compile and compress the data into a Zip file for download, a process that may take several minutes. Data will remain available until January 2026.