(NEXSTAR) – After a 21-year run, the once widely-used video chat app Skype is now officially a memory, as of May 5.
“Rest in peace, Skype,” one person wrote on X. “You served us well.”
"Give one final listen to that classic Skype ringtone," someone else suggested, including a segment of the cheerful, smooth sound. tone .
Launched in 2003 and based in Luxembourg as part of Microsoft, Skype has been recognized for simplifying and reducing the cost of video calls for countless individuals around the world.
"Skype has played a crucial role in molding contemporary communication methods and facilitating numerous significant experiences, and we feel privileged to have been a part of this voyage," stated Jeff Teper, who serves as the president of collaborative apps and platforms at Microsoft, in a release.
Teper mentioned that the choice to discontinue Skype is part of Microsoft’s efforts to "simplify our range of free consumer communication services, allowing us to better adjust to customers' requirements."
What occurs next for Skype users?
Users of Skype will not be able to access their accounts anymore; however, they can utilize the same login information to sign into Microsoft Teams Free on any compatible device.
According to Microsoft, upon signing up, one’s contacts and chat history will be seamlessly moved over, and the user will receive a notification within the Skype application "guiding them to initiate the process of migrating their information."
Microsoft notes that the following data doesn’t migrate to Teams Free:
- Conversations between Skype users andTeams work or school accounts won’t be transferred. Individuals can utilize Teams Free to initiate new chats with Teamwork users for an enhanced experience and additional features.
- Chat histories from Skype to Skype for Business will not be transferred during the migration process.
- 1:1 chats with self-history will not be transferred.
- Data from private conversations will not be transferred.
- The content from Copilot and bots won’t be supported within theTeams Free version, and there will be no availability of chat history.
For devoted Skype users who have no interest in switching to Teams, they can also choose to continue using Skype. export one’s Skype data .
Any individual who does not take action and doesn’t sign into Teams before January 2026 risks losing their information.
Microsoft acquired Skype In 2011 for $8.5 billion.
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