After more than 20 years of transforming global communication, Skype officially shut down on May 5. Microsoft, its parent company, announced the closure in February, indicating that the free video calling service would be replaced by Microsoft Teams.
This shutdown impacts all Skype users, whether they used the service for free or paid. However, Skype for Business users will transition to Microsoft Teams, which retains many familiar features and adds more capabilities.
Here’s what happens to your Skype account:
- Users can log in to Teams with their existing Skype credentials, giving them access to chats and contacts.
- If they prefer not to use Teams, they have the option to download their Skype data and shift to another video calling service.
- It’s important for users to export or delete their Skype data by January 2026.
- If a user has used Microsoft Teams before, their Skype Call and Chat History will still be accessible.
- If no action is taken, any remaining Skype data will be erased by January 2026.
How to export Skype data?
- Log in to Skype’s Export Page using a Microsoft account.
- Choose to download conversations, files, or both.
- Select to send a request and follow the prompts to continue.
- Once the export is finished, click download.
Read Also | Slack, Zoom to replace Skype, which has been active for 22 years
Why did Skype shut down?
Skype’s rise was notable, especially after Microsoft integrated it into platforms like Windows, smartphones, and Xbox consoles. At one point, the goal was to reach 1 billion users. Unfortunately, regular changes to the interface and cumbersome updates led to dissatisfaction among users. The pandemic, along with competition from services like Zoom, WebEx, Discord, and Slack, marked the decline of the platform.
By 2025, Skype’s user base plummeted from 150 million in 2011 to about 23 million, a far cry from the 400 million registered users it once boasted.
