Microsoft Announces It Will Close the Skype Service on May 5, 2025

Microsoft announced it will close on May 5 2025 Skype, the internet-based phone and video service that was once the dominant way of staying connected in the mid-2000s. The company will give users ten weeks to decide what to do with their accounts while encouraging them to move to Microsoft Teams. Skype users will be able to enter their account credentials into Teams, and chats, contacts, and history will automatically appear in the app. During the transition period, Teams users can call and chat with Skype users and Skype users can do the same with Teams users. "With Teams, users have access to many of the same core features they use in Skype, such as one-on-one calls and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. Additionally, Teams offers enhanced features like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and building and joining communities for free," the company explained. To get started, Download Teams from the official Microsoft Teams website. Log in with your Skype credentials. Start using Teams with all Skype chats and contacts ready to go. Microsoft acquired this messaging and calling app 14 years ago, nine years after its creation, for $8.5 billion in cash, marking its largest acquisition ever. Skype launched in 2003 in Estonia and quickly caught on as a way to make free calls worldwide. Microsoft integrated the service into its other products, such as Office and its ill-fated mobile operating service, Windows Phone.