The writing has been on the wall for a long time: Microsoft plans to shut down the communication software Skype in May 2025.
While Microsoft has yet to formally announce the end of the once-popular communication software, a notification about the end of Skype was found in the latest preview of the software.
The discovered string says: “Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams.”.
Microsoft wants to move customers to Teams, the video conferencing, calling, and meetings software that it favors now.
Skype has been around for quite some time. It was launched in 2003, but Microsoft did not acquire it until 2011. Paid a pretty sum for it, $8.5 billion at the time.
Microsoft discontinued Windows Live Messenger a few years later and tried to make Skype its next billion users product by integrating it in the-then new version of Windows, Windows 10.
This did not work out too well and the launch of Microsoft Teams in 2017 put Skype on the backburner soon thereafter.
As Microsoft has not confirmed the end of Skype yet, there is a theoretical chance that Skype could once more jumping off a scaffold. Microsoft has a few months left to make an announcement either way.
Even if Skype is put to rest, there is a good chance that it could stay around for a while to make sure most users and businesses migrate to Teams in an orderly fashion.
On a personal note, I never warmed up to Skype and have not used it much, even though I had an account for what seems forever.
Now it is your turn. Do you use Skype or have you used it in the past? Feel free to leave a comment down below about that.
Skype? What is “Skype”? (Sarcasm)
Everyone uses Google Meet.
I used to use Skype on Windows, but never tried it on a smartphone. But since the latest smartphones arrived on the scene I either use LINE or Signal. LINE is very popular in SE Asia, but rarely used in this part of the world which also good from the point of view that you don’t get bombarded with ads. But since I have friends in places like Thailand it’s imperative to have LINE installed if I want to stay in touch with folks.
LINE stickers (emjois) are not to be missed! They’re extremely funny and animated. It’s also a way of supporting the developer by buying a few to add to your collection. Users who are good at graphics can earn money buy designing LINE stickers and have them made available in the app too.
Yep, using LINE, here in Thailand. It is a very customer friendly app, with chat , video calls and audio call, transfers of files and photos .
For my european friends family I still could not convince them to use it and was using Skypefor the last 15 yrs;., now may to try harder to push for LINE or try another app like Signal.
@ Martin,
Could you please make an Edit function available for the Comments section? I usually check what I’m about to post, but sometimes change something at the last minute which causes a spelling mistake somewhere i.e. “buy” above should become “by”.
Have added an option, let me know if it works.
In other news, rotary-dial telephones are falling out of fashion as people switch to the new style with buttons.
I USED SKYPE FOR MANY YEARS, BUT WENT BACK TO EMAIL OR LANDLINE PHONE AS APPROPRIATE.
There are tons of options now for online calls/chats. Some older people may have problems adjusting to new apps.
There is nothing that really has dominance anymore that has brand recognition and is actually worth it.
Would anyone care to elaborate on what is similar or better that is capable of the following:
1. Does not require a phone number.
2. Is not owned by meta or any similar scumbag. (if we are looking for something else whey not have greater expectations).
3. Is not looking to monetize itself and go down the path of enshitication in the not too distant future.
4. Is not discord (that’s already garbage and not even really similar to skype)
5. Prioritizes privacy and not tracking and spyware.
6. Cross Platform and accessible.
7. larger file sharing.
Not all of these points are completely realistic but I do feel they are possible but right now we don’t really have anything that is decent. They all fail in one manner or another.
Signal = Requires phone number and takes over your phone.
Telegram = Requires a phone number and generally not very safe or good
Discord = not quite a forum/BB not quite a chat application. It falls in the realms of not interested or fit for purpose. On top of having ridiculous file size limitations as well as tracking and not safe at all or private.
Element = ??? I feel like enshitification looms over this one.
SimpleX = Not really “simple” and is till in its infancy of development. Vaguely recall it being suggested that they have dreams of commercialization. (could be wrong about that)
Session = Don’t trust it. Australian laws don’t really allow for something like this to exist and not have a backdoor being built into it. Development seems to have slowed down.
Olvid = More commercial than anything
Jami = Generally referred to as unreliable.
The biggest problem is convincing anyone to move from their chosen app but that goes back to my original comment. None of these apps have dominance or brand recognition like Skype once did. (prior to Microsoft).
The next closest is Whatsapp but that is just not very good at all and honest F^#k Meta.
It’s closed source, packed with tracking and trash, very limited and not very good for the end user as they actively work to prevent people creating mods or anything that would benefit the end user.
If you ask me Whatsapp should have died once meta bought it and will likely share the same fate as Skype in the future as meta already has their rubbish messenger app which is also complete garbage.
Sadly I know full well that most casuals will end up here at Whatsapp which is arguably worse than Skype and owned by bigger scumbags because at this point Microsoft is playing catch up in this space of socials even though they should have miles ahead. They crapped on MSN Messenger and then continued that fine tradition of blowing it up until today.
Also Teams is a dumb name and not even inviting for the casual home user that would like to chat one on one with someone.
Microsoft is a shambles run by modern day morons that have continued to fail not only their customers but the product hence why windows has been on a slippery slope for years and more people are flocking to alternatives to Windows.