Microsoft Retires Skype, Focusing on Teams by May 2025

After more than two decades as a pioneering force in internet communication, Skype is being officially retired by Microsoft. Skype gained global popularity by making affordable or free international video and voice calls accessible, but its influence waned as users migrated to more mobile-friendly, integrated platforms like WhatsApp, FaceTime, Zoom, and notably Microsoft Teams. Microsoft, which acquired Skype in 2011, is now consolidating its communications strategy around Teams, which offers advanced collaboration tools and deeper integration with the Microsoft ecosystem. The transition reflects not only technological evolution but also changing user preferences, with many lamenting the loss of a once-intuitive and widely trusted service. Despite nostalgia from long-time users, Skype's desktop-oriented architecture and inability to keep pace with mobile and cloud-based competitors sealed its fate. The platform's legacy endures as a milestone in global connectivity, even as its digital curtain falls.