Ladies and gentlemen, gather around, for we are witnessing the end of an era. Skype, the granddaddy of online calling, the app that made long-distance relationships slightly less painful and business meetings slightly more awkward, is officially getting the boot in May 2025.
Microsoft, the current owner of Skype (and, apparently, its executioner), has decided that it’s time to put the old warhorse out to pasture and replace it with Teams.
Yes, that’s right. The app that once revolutionized how we talked to our distant relatives, long-lost friends, and scam callers pretending to be from the IRS is being “streamlined” out of existence.
Microsoft executive Jeff Teper broke the news, probably over a Teams call, where he explained that Skype users will soon be nudged—no, shoved—toward Microsoft Teams (free). And don’t worry, you’ll be able to log in using your Skype credentials. Just in case you needed one final, bittersweet login before saying goodbye.
A Legacy Worth Remembering
Skype was born in 2003 in Estonia, back when the internet still made dial-up noises and the idea of seeing someone’s face while calling them was mind-blowing.
It allowed people to make voice and video calls without paying those absurd international fees. Suddenly, talking to your cousin in Australia didn’t require selling a kidney.
Over the years, Skype had more owners than a secondhand car. It was first snapped up by eBay in 2005 for $2.6 billion, because apparently, eBay thought people wanted to bid on phone calls.
Then, a group of private investors took over in 2009 before Microsoft swooped in and bought it for a whopping $8.5 billion in 2011. And what did Microsoft do with its expensive new toy? Well, they slowly smothered it with new competitors ultimately replaced it.
The Rise of the Competitors
While Skype was busy enjoying its early fame, Zoom, WhatsApp, Google Meet, and a dozen other apps quietly took its lunch money.
WhatsApp became the go-to VoIP service, Zoom took over the workplace (and became a household name during the pandemic), and Skype… well, Skype became that one app you used when nothing else worked.
Even Microsoft’s own Teams outgrew Skype, which is like watching your younger sibling outshine you in every way. Skype for Business? Gone. Regular Skype? Next on the chopping block.
The Inevitable Goodbye
Microsoft promises that your contacts and chat history will be safely migrated to Teams, so at least you won’t lose those ancient messages from your old college roommate asking for “just one more favor.”
And for those feeling nostalgic, you can even export your Skype data, frame it, and tell your kids about the good old days when “Skyping” was a verb.
So, let’s take a moment of silence for Skype. You were there when we needed you. You made our calls memorable. You glitched at the worst times. And now, you leave us to join the tech graveyard alongside MySpace, Vine, and Internet Explorer.
Farewell, old friend. May your ringtone echo forever in our hearts.
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