Microsoft said today it will be retiring the original free internet calling app Skype in May and migrating customers to Microsoft Teams.

In blog post titled “The next chapter,” Jeff Teper, president, Collaborative Apps and Platforms at the software giant said, “The way we communicate has evolved significantly over the years. From instant messaging to video calls, technology has continuously transformed how we connect with each other.In order to streamline our free consumer communications offerings so we can more easily adapt to customer needs, we will be retiring Skype in May 2025 to focus on Microsoft Teams (free), our modern communications and collaboration hub.”

Skype launched in 2003 and in 2005, according to CNBC, had reached 54 million users. It was acquired by eBay and eventually by Microsoft for $8.5 billion in 2011. But it began to lose ground amid adoption of smartphones. During Covid, Zoom became the video calling platform of choice.

Teams offers many of the same core features of Skype, including one-on-one calls and group calls, messaging, and file sharing along with enhanced elements like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and building and joining communities for free.

In the past two years, the number of minutes spent in meetings by consumer users of Teams has grown four times and it’s used by “hundreds of millions” of people.

Over the coming days, Microsoft will roll out the ability for Skype users to sign into Teams on any supported device using their Skype credentials—starting today with those who are part of both the Teams and Skype Insider programs. By logging in to Teams with a Skype account, chats and contacts will automatically appear in the app.

Those who prefer not to migrate to Teams can instead export their data through May 5.

Current Skype subscription users can continue to use their Skype Credits and subscriptions until the end of their next renewal period. Skype Credit users can also continue to use their remaining Skype Credit. After May 5, 2025, the Skype Dial Pad will be available to remaining paid users from the Skype web portal and within Teams.  

“Skype has been an integral part of shaping modern communications and supporting countless meaningful moments, and we are honored to have been part of the journey,” Tepper said.