BREAKING: Microsoft To Shut Down Skype After Two Decades Of Service

BREAKING: Microsoft To Shut Down Skype After Two Decades Of Service

Tech giant Microsoft has announced plans to discontinue Skype, its internet-based phone and video service, by May 2025.

Once a leading platform for online communication in the mid-2000s, Skype saw widespread adoption before facing stiff competition from modern alternatives like Zoom and Google Meet. Microsoft confirmed the decision in a post on its X handle on Friday.

“Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available. Over the coming days you can sign in to Microsoft Teams Free with your Skype account to stay connected with all your chats and contacts. Thank you for being part of Skype,” Microsoft posted on X.

The shutdown comes 14 years after Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion in cash.

Over the years, the company integrated Skype into its ecosystem, including Office and the now-defunct Windows Phone.

Despite experiencing a brief resurgence during the pandemic, the platform has struggled to retain users amid growing competition.

Skype was originally launched in 2003 by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, the co-founders of Kazaa, a peer-to-peer file-sharing platform.

Developed in Estonia with the help of former classmates who had no prior telecommunications experience, Skype quickly revolutionized online communication before its gradual decline in recent years.