Today marks the official retirement of Skype as Microsoft transitions users to its new communication platform, Microsoft Teams. Existing Skype users can easily migrate to Teams for free, with all their contacts and chat history transferring seamlessly. Users have until January 2026 to export their data before it is permanently deleted.
Microsoft's decision to shut down Skype is aimed at streamlining its consumer communications offerings. While Microsoft Teams (free) offers many of the same features as Skype, there are some limitations such as a 60-minute limit on group video calls and the absence of pay-as-you-go calling and SMS options.
Skype, which was founded in 2003 and acquired by Microsoft in 2011, has been a key player in the voice over IP (VoIP) industry for the past two decades.
