Microsoft officially shuts down Skype: What happens to your chats and contacts?

After almost 20 years, the revolutionary internet-based communication interface, Skype will officially shut down today, May 5.

The closing down of Skype in many ways marks the end of an era in digital voice and video calling.

Microsoft, which has owned Skype since 2011, announced the platform's retirement earlier this year, confirming that Microsoft Teams Free will serve as its successor.

Skype: A Legacy of Innovation

Launched in 2003 by a group of engineers in Tallinn, Estonia, Skype pioneered the use of VOIP (voice over internet protocol), enabling users to make phone calls over the internet. During that time, it was seen as a game-changing alternative to traditional landlines.

Its early adoption of video calling helped it skyrocket in popularity. In 2005, e-commerce platform eBay bought the platform and in 2011, Skype was sold to Microsoft in a landmark $8.5 billion deal, when the platform boasted over 170 million users worldwide.

For years, Skype remained synonymous with online calling—so much so that the Trump administration used it to facilitate press interactions.

However, with the rise of Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, and others—especially during the Covid-19 pandemic—Skype began to lose its technological edge. Today, as Skype bows out, it has left behind a rich legacy and a loyal user base.

So, What Happens to Your Skype Account?

The good news is that users of Skype won’t need to start from scratch. If you have an existing Skype account, you can simply log in to Microsoft Teams Free using the same credentials—no new account required.

Upon logging in, your chats and contact list will automatically sync with the new platform.

This transition affects both free and paid Skype users. Skype for Business users, however, will remain untouched.

What About Your Skype Data?

Microsoft has designed a relatively seamless transition. When you access Teams Free using your Skype ID, a notification in your Skype app will prompt you to migrate your data. Microsoft states the sync process should take less than a minute.

However, the migration isn’t total. Here’s what won’t transfer:

• Chat history with Skype for Business users

• Conversations with Teams work or school accounts

• 1:1 self-chats

• Private conversation data

• Copilot and bots content

• If a user wants to delete their Skype data, the deadline is January 2026. If an user does not take action by then, their data will be permanently deleted.

Teams Free vs Skype: What’s Different?

At its core, Microsoft Teams Free retains the essentials of Skype: messaging, file sharing, one-on-one and group calling. But it also offers a modernised suite of features tailored for collaboration and productivity, such as:

• Meeting hosting

• Calendar integration

• Community-building tools

While Skype focused on personal communication, Teams Free is built to support hybrid work, remote collaboration, and organised digital communities—marking a significant shift in Microsoft’s communication ecosystem.

End of Skype: Curtain Closes on an Era

As the curtain closes down on Skype, it is a no-brainer that the application has had a rich legacy. At one point, Skype and its logo had become a cultural icon, representing shared connections in a globalising world.

Whether it was late-night calls with loved ones across borders or landmark interviews with world leaders, Skype was there.

Now, it's time for Microsoft Teams to take up the mantle, ushering in the next phase of digital communication.