Skype era is over: Microsoft moves users to Teams
Microsoft shuts down Skype (photo: Getty Images)
The Skype app officially stops its operation on Monday, May 5. User accounts, along with chat histories, will be transferred to the Microsoft Teams service, announced Microsoft.
As noted by Microsoft, these changes will affect both free and paid Skype users, but not users of "Skype for Business". It is also known that Skype data will remain accessible to users until January 2026: they can be exported, including chat histories. After that, the service’s data will be deleted.
All Skype users will have the option to switch to the free version of Microsoft Teams, which offers many essential features.
Sign into Teams (free) on any supported device using your Skype credentials, and your contacts and chats will be automatically transferred. You will also receive a notification in the Skype app prompting you to take action to migrate your data. If you do not wish to use Microsoft Teams Free, you can export your Skype data, Microsoft said.
What is known about Skype
Skype is a program for video and voice calls as well as text messaging, developed in 2003. It allowed users to communicate with people around the world via the internet, making it a popular tool for both personal and business communication.
Skype supported both individual and group video calls and allowed for multi-participant conferences.
In 2011, Skype was acquired by Microsoft, which helped further develop the platform and integrate it with other Microsoft products, including Windows and Office. As of 2011, up to 140 million people worldwide were using Skype every month.
Despite the emergence of new competitors like Zoom and Google Meet, Skype remained a popular choice for users seeking a convenient and reliable way to communicate through video and voice calls.
Earlier, Microsoft encouraged its customers to switch to the Windows 11 operating system due to its numerous advantages.
