Microsoft Ends the Era of Skype: Platform to Be Discontinued in May

Microsoft has announced the complete discontinuation of Skype in May this year, officially transitioning users to Teams for calls and chats. This marks the end of an era for the service, which first launched in 2003 and was acquired by Microsoft in 2011. The notice about Skype’s shutdown was spotted in the latest preview version of Skype for Windows, stating, “Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams.”

Microsoft has been phasing out Skype in favor of Teams, which launched in 2017 and has since been promoted as the company’s primary collaboration platform. Despite regular updates, Skype's development slowed, and its popularity declined amid competition from rivals like FaceTime and various Google services.

Attempts to integrate Skype into the Windows ecosystem also proved unsuccessful. In Windows 10, the app lasted about nine months before Microsoft shifted its strategy, focusing on Teams, which is now built into Windows 11. The end of Skype support underscores Microsoft’s commitment to developing Teams as its primary communication tool. Users are expected to start receiving notifications about Skype's discontinuation soon.