Skype, the once-dominant video calling platform that gained widespread popularity in the early 2000s, is set to shut down. While its usage has declined over the years, Microsoft reports that over 36 million people still use Skype daily to stay connected with friends, family, and colleagues.
In a recent blog post, Microsoft confirmed that Skype will officially be discontinued on May 5, 2025. The company has been gradually phasing out the platform’s features, including stopping the sale of credits for Skype numbers in December last year, which previously allowed users to make calls worldwide.
Originally launched in 2003, Skype became one of the most widely used Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. Microsoft acquired the platform in 2011 for $8.5 billion and made several attempts to modernize it. Over the years, the company redesigned Skype multiple times to compete with services like iMessage and integrated it into its ecosystem, including Windows, Xbox, and the now-defunct Windows phones.
Despite experimenting with new features such as Skype Clips and integrating Copilot AI last year, Microsoft struggled to revitalize the platform, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when video calling services surged in demand. Instead, Microsoft leveraged Skype’s technology to develop Teams, its enterprise-focused communication platform, which has since taken precedence.
