Why is Microsoft shutting down Skype? Know reason, what will happen to existing users

Skype, a video conferencing platform from Microsoft, will shut down after May 2025, the company said. In the announcement, the company called the shut down as “retiring” the platform and guided users towards shift to its Teams platform, another video conferencing platform that is free for users.  

Why is Microsoft shutting down Skype? 

Microsoft decided to discontinue skype because of its falling relevance. Since Microsoft acquired the platform in 2011, many new platforms have become more popular among users. It is also because Microsoft is changing its focus towards integrating all its communication tools into a single platform that adapts to the demands of the modern workplace. This is a comprehensive strategy that Microsoft has adopted to prioritise Teams as it feels that it represents the digital future.  

Though Skype’s active users in 2023 were a whooping 36 million, the company believes Teams is a hub of modern communication and collaboration. In an official blogpost, Microsoft said that Microsoft Teams is more capable of fulfilling customer needs as one integrated platform. “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.” 

Microsoft Team, launched in 2017, has been a fully equipped platform against an updated Skype, that was created in 2003.  

Advantages of Teams over Skype  

Microsoft mentioned that Teams is more advanced than Skype by providing many features of Skype that were its main components like one-on-one and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. Microsoft Teams also supports file sharing, meeting, streamling calendar, and community hub for free.  

How to shift to Teams  

Microsoft has made an alternative for those who don't wish to shift their data to Team. Those users can export their Skype data, like contacts, chats, call history, etc.  

Skype users can migrate to Microsoft Team’s free version through their Skype credentials. Users must first log into Teams through their Skype account details. After this, their old chats, contacts and other data will be shown in the Teams app. This would enable users to continue to call and chat with people on their Skype account until May 5.