Microsoft has announced that Skype, once a leading video-calling platform with hundreds of millions of users, will officially shut down in May. Known for revolutionising online communication, Skype enabled people worldwide to make free voice and video calls via their computers.

While not the first company to offer such services, Skype played a significant role in popularising free computer-to-computer calls. In a recent announcement on X, the company advised users to sign in to Microsoft Teams with their existing accounts to retain access to their chats and contacts. Microsoft has yet to comment publicly on the decision.

Originally launched in 2003, Skype was acquired by Microsoft in 2011 for $8.5 billion (£6.1 billion), marking the company’s largest acquisition at the time. It was later integrated into Microsoft’s ecosystem, including Xbox and Windows devices.

Skype was widely regarded as a groundbreaking platform, with industry experts recognising its impact on digital communication. In December 2010, when a two-day outage occurred, tech analyst Om Malik called it one of the "key applications of the modern web."

A Nostalgic Farewell

As news of Skype’s closure spread, users shared their memories of the platform. One individual on X described losing Skype as "saying goodbye to another fragment of adolescence." Another user, Louise, recalled how Skype kept her connected with her partner during a long-distance transatlantic relationship.

Anna Simpson, a digital marketer, shared how she used Skype to video-call her grandparents after they moved to France nearly two decades ago. "Back then, it felt like magic," she wrote on LinkedIn. "No international call charges—just a quick dial-up and pixelated faces keeping us together."

The Rise and Fall of Skype

When Microsoft purchased Skype, the platform had been downloaded a billion times and was used by hundreds of millions. At the time, then-CEO Steve Ballmer envisioned it as "the future of real-time communications." However, competition from WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger soon led to a decline in Skype’s dominance.

A 2017 redesign, which introduced Snapchat-like features, was met with widespread criticism. Users felt the update was unnecessary, with tech journalist Rachel Kaser noting it was "fixing something that was never broken."

By 2021, speculation about Skype’s demise grew when Microsoft announced Windows 11, which featured Microsoft Teams as the default communication tool, leaving Skype out for the first time in years. The Covid-19 pandemic further cemented Teams' popularity as businesses and individuals relied on it for virtual meetings.

What’s Next?

Following the announcement of Skype’s shutdown, Microsoft published a blog post by Jeff Teper, president of collaborative apps and platforms. He emphasised the company’s decision to consolidate its free services under Microsoft Teams.

"With Teams, users have access to many of the same core features as Skype, including one-on-one and group calls, messaging, and file sharing," Teper wrote. "Additionally, Teams offers enhanced features like meetings, calendar management, and community-building—all for free."

Skype users now have the option to transition to Microsoft Teams or export their chats, contacts, and call history before the shutdown. For paying customers, Microsoft confirmed that they will be able to use their service until the next renewal period.

While Skype’s departure marks the end of an era, its legacy as a pioneer in digital communication remains undeniable.

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