Skype to Retire in May After Two Decades as Microsoft Focuses on Teams

Confirmed: Microsoft announced on its official blog that Skype will retire in May after decades of operation. Microsoft bought the service for $8.5 billion in cash, marking the company’s largest acquisition at the time (2011). 

What Will Happen to Skype Users?

In the same blog, Microsoft said users can move to Microsoft Teams for free during the transition period. They told users they would roll out an option or feature for Skype users to sign into Teams (free) on any supported device using their Skype credentials. When logging in using a Skype account, users’ chats and contacts will automatically transfer to a Microsoft Teams account. Those who don’t want to migrate to Teams can export data, including chats, contacts, and call history.

Skype was initially released on August 29, 2003. On May 10, 2011, Microsoft bought the chatting and calling software.