For over 20 years, Skype has been a household name for keeping in touch across the globe. Launched in 2003 by a pair of European entrepreneurs, Skype revolutionized online communication by offering free voice and video calls over the internet. It grew to hundreds of millions of users at its peak, connecting families, friends, and colleagues worldwide with just a webcam and an internet connection. Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011, aiming to integrate it into its ecosystem after recognizing its immense popularity.
Meanwhile, Microsoft Teams came along much later with a different origin. Introduced in 2017 as part of the Office 365 suite, Teams was originally designed as a workplace collaboration tool to compete with the likes of Slack. It started as a hub for team chats, video meetings, and file sharing in offices and schools. However, Microsoft soon saw its potential beyond the workplace. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Teams usage exploded not just for work but also for everyday communication at home. In 2020, Microsoft even launched a version of Teams for personal use, signaling that it wasn’t just for big companies anymore.
Now, in 2025, these two services have converged in purpose. Microsoft has decided to streamline its communication platforms by retiring Skype and encouraging everyone to use Microsoft Teams for all the same purposes. If you’ve used Skype for years, this news might feel like the end of an era. But don’t worry – Microsoft Teams is stepping in to do everything Skype did, and then some, for free. This article will explain why Skype is going away, how Teams fills its shoes, and guide you through using Teams for your personal video calls, screen shares, and chats as easily as you used Skype. (Source)
After years of service, Skype has been officially discontinued on May 5th, 2025. Microsoft announced that it’s “retiring Skype in May 2025 to focus on Microsoft Teams (free), our modern communications and collaboration hub”. In other words, Microsoft believes it no longer makes sense to maintain two similar services. There are a few key reasons behind this decision:
Overlapping Features: Microsoft Teams has steadily developed into a platform that can do everything Skype can. Both offer one-on-one video calls, group video chats, instant messaging, and more. Microsoft found itself running two parallel services for the same tasks, so it decided to simplify and invest in one platform going forward.
Declining Skype Usage: Skype’s popularity has waned in recent years. When Microsoft bought Skype in 2011, it had about 150 million monthly users; by the mid-2010s it peaked around 300 million. But with the rise of competitors like Apple’s FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom, and others, Skype’s user base shrank dramatically. By 2023, Skype had only about 36 million monthly active users. Many people had simply moved on to other apps on their smartphones. With far fewer people using Skype, Microsoft determined that resources would be better spent on the more popular Teams.
Modern Technology: Skype was a pioneer, but some of its underlying technology was designed in a different era of the internet. It relied partly on peer-to-peer connections (your calls sometimes traveled through other users’ devices), which was innovative in 2003 but less ideal for today’s mobile, cloud-connected world. Microsoft Teams was built more recently with a cloud-based architecture, making it more suited for the smartphone and high-speed broadband age. This makes Teams more scalable and easier to update with new features.
Unified Experience: Microsoft’s strategy is to have one primary app for communication. They had already transitioned businesses from Skype for Business to Teams a few years ago. Now they are doing the same for personal users of Skype. This streamlining means less confusion – new users will just choose Teams, and Microsoft can focus on improving a single app.
In short, Skype isn’t shutting down due to any failure on your part – it’s a strategic move by Microsoft. As Microsoft put it, this will allow them “to streamline our free consumer communications offerings so we can more easily adapt to customer needs” by centering on Teams. Skype had a wonderful 22-year run, but May 5, 2025 marks the end of that chapter.
Microsoft Teams is stepping in to replace Skype as Microsoft’s primary communication service for personal use. The good news is that Teams can do everything you used Skype for – and more. If you’re worried about losing the ability to video chat with your grandchildren or send quick messages to friends, Microsoft Teams has you covered with all the core features you’re familiar with:
Video and Voice Calls: Just like Skype, Teams allows free one-on-one video calls as well as group video conferences with multiple people. You can see and talk to your contacts in real-time, whether it’s a personal chat or a family reunion. Microsoft emphasizes that Teams offers “many of the same core features” as Skype, including one-on-one calls and group calls. The quality is on par, and you can even use fun features like virtual backgrounds and screen effects (Teams and Skype both offer background blur, for example, to tidy up what others see behind you).
Instant Messaging (Chats): Teams includes text chat for sending instant messages, just like Skype’s chat window. You can type to your contacts, share emojis 😊, and even edit or delete messages after sending (a handy feature Skype also had). All your past conversations from Skype can be available in Teams, so you won’t lose those chat histories when you switch.
Screen Sharing: Need to show someone a spreadsheet or get remote tech help? Teams supports screen sharing during calls, just as Skype did. With a couple of clicks, you can let the person you’re talking to see your computer screen. This is great for presentations or helping Mom troubleshoot her PC while you’re in a video chat.
File Sharing: Teams makes it easy to send files in a chat – photos, documents, you name it. In Skype you could send files to your contacts; in Teams you can do the same and even benefit from built-in cloud storage (via Microsoft OneDrive). That means when you share a file, it’s stored online so both of you can access it anytime, and it won’t disappear if one of you goes offline. It’s a safe and convenient way to share pictures from last weekend or a PDF of an itinerary.
In essence, Teams does everything Skype did in terms of communication. Microsoft isn’t removing any capability you’ve grown used to – you’ll still be able to make free video calls worldwide, chat by text, have group discussions, and share your screen or files. On top of that, Teams brings new features that Skype didn’t have or that weren’t as robust:
Schedule Meetings and Calls: In Teams, you can schedule a video meeting for a specific time and invite people, even if they don’t have Teams. The app will generate a link (similar to how Zoom or Skype’s "Meet Now" worked) that others can click to join the call via their browser. This is handy if you want to plan a virtual gathering (like a birthday call or book club) in advance.
Integrated Calendar and Communities: Teams (free) offers a built-in calendar for meetings and a feature called Communities, which are like group hubs. For example, you could have a community for your extended family or a club, where members can post messages and organize events. This goes beyond Skype’s basic group chat by providing a more organized space for ongoing group interactions. If that sounds too fancy, you can ignore it – but it’s there if you ever need to coordinate things in a group.
Better Multi-Device Support: Skype worked on phones, tablets, and PCs, and so does Teams. But Teams is part of Microsoft’s modern cloud suite, which means it syncs your conversations across devices more seamlessly. Start a chat on your phone and continue on your laptop without missing a beat. All you need is to log in with the same account.
Security and Updates: Teams benefits from enterprise-grade security that Microsoft built for its business users. Your calls and chats are encrypted, and Microsoft regularly updates Teams with new features and security improvements. Skype was secure too, but Teams is where Microsoft is focusing its innovations now.
It’s clear Microsoft is positioning Teams as the one-stop app for communication, whether it’s a casual call with family or coordinating with a group. In Microsoft’s own words: “With Teams, users have access to many of the same core features they use in Skype, such as one-on-one calls and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. Additionally, Teams offers enhanced features like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and building and joining communities for free.” (microsoft.com). For a long-time Skype user, the key takeaway is that nothing you need is truly going away – it’s just moving into Teams.
By now, you might be thinking: “Alright, I’ll have to use Teams. How do I actually do that?” The switch is designed to be as painless as possible. Microsoft has set it up so that your existing Skype account and contacts can transfer directly into Teams. Here’s a simple guide to migrating from Skype to Microsoft Teams:
Install Microsoft Teams: If you don’t already have Teams on your device, you’ll need to download it. You can get it for free from the official Microsoft Teams website or your device’s app store. There are versions for Windows PCs, Mac computers, iPhones, Android phones, and even a web version if you don’t want to install anything. On a computer, visit the Teams website and click the "Download Now" button; on a smartphone, search for “Microsoft Teams” in your app store and install the free app.
Log In with Your Skype/Microsoft Account: Open Teams and it will ask you to sign in. Use the same username and password that you used for Skype. In most cases, your Skype login is your Microsoft Account (often an email address) – Microsoft merged these a while back. So if you used an email or phone number for Skype, enter that. If you had an older Skype username, you can use that too (Teams will recognize it). You do not need to create a new account for Teams. For example, if you always signed into Skype as john_doe123, enter that in Teams; if you signed in with an email like [email protected], use that email. After entering your credentials, you may be asked to verify your identity (possibly via a code sent to your email or phone, especially if it’s the first time logging in on a new app).
Automatic Transfer of Contacts and Chats: Once you’re logged in, give it a moment – Microsoft Teams will automatically load your existing Skype contacts and chat history into the app. It’s pretty neat: all the people you had on Skype should appear in your Teams contacts or recent chats list. Your past conversations will also be there, so you can continue where you left off. For instance, if you had a chat with your daughter on Skype, that conversation should show up in Teams with all the messages intact. (This automatic transfer works as long as you log in to Teams with your Skype account by a certain time; Microsoft has said Skype data will remain available until at least January 2026 for transfer.) The bottom line is you won’t have to manually re-add your contacts one by one – they come along with you, which is a big relief.
Familiarize Yourself with Teams’ Interface: Teams will look a bit different from Skype, but it’s user-friendly once you get the hang of it. On the left (or bottom on mobile) you’ll see tabs or icons for things like Chat, Teams/Communities, Calendar, etc. For personal use, you’ll mainly focus on the Chat section, where one-on-one and group conversations live (this is similar to Skype’s contact list and chat windows). Click Chat and you should see recent conversations or a button to start a new chat. You might also see a Calls or Meet option where you can start calls or meetings. Spend a few minutes clicking around to see where things are – but don’t worry, we’ll cover how to do the main tasks next.
Optional – Export Data (if you want a backup): If for some reason you don’t want to move to Teams, or you just want a personal copy of your Skype history, Microsoft allows you to export your Skype data. On the Skype website (skype.com) there’s an option to download your chat history and contacts as a file. This isn’t necessary for most people, especially if you’re moving to Teams, but it’s good to know it’s available. Microsoft will keep Skype data available to export until January 2026, after which it will be deleted. So, you have plenty of time to grab anything you need.
That’s it – you’ve transitioned to Teams! Microsoft has also updated the Skype app to help guide users. In fact, if you still open Skype now, you might see a prompt saying “Goodbye Skype, hello Teams” with a button to “Start using Teams” right inside Skype. Clicking that in Skype will also kick off the process of opening or installing Teams and signing you in with your Skype account. Microsoft is doing everything it can to nudge and assist users to switch over smoothly.
Once you have Microsoft Teams set up and your Skype contacts are in there, you’ll want to know how to do all the everyday things you used Skype for. Below is a practical guide (no technical jargon) to performing common actions in Teams, side-by-side with how you used to do them in Skype. You’ll find that the steps are quite similar.
In Skype, you would select a contact and click the green call button (or video camera icon) to start a call. In Teams, the idea is the same:
Select a Contact: In Teams, go to the Chat tab and click on the person you want to call. If you don’t see them listed yet, you can use the search bar to type their name or email. Once you click their name, you’ll open a chat with them (even if it’s empty to start).
Click the Call Button: In the chat header (typically at the top right of the window on desktop, or at the top of the screen on mobile), you’ll see a video camera icon and a phone icon. Click the video camera icon to start a video call, or the phone (handset) icon to start an audio-only call. This will ring the other person in their Teams app (or even in their Skype app if they haven’t switched yet – during the transition period, Teams users and Skype users can call each other directly).
Grant Permissions if Asked: The first time you use Teams for a call, your device might ask for permission to use the microphone and camera – choose “Allow” so that the other person can hear and see you. You can also turn your camera on or off during the call by clicking the camera icon within the call window (just like you could in Skype).
Enjoy the Call: Once the person answers, you’ll be connected. You can talk as usual. Teams offers all the familiar in-call controls: mute/unmute microphone, turn camera on/off, and end call (hang up). The interface might look a little different, but it’s intuitive – for example, the hang-up button is a red phone icon, similar to Skype’s red end-call button.
What about call quality? Teams uses modern audio and video technology, so you should expect call quality equal to or better than Skype. If you had clear calls on Skype, you’ll have clear calls on Teams. It’s still dependent on your internet connection, of course, but there’s no downgrade in quality by switching to Teams.
In Skype, you could have a group call by creating a group chat and then hitting the call button, or by using Skype’s Meet Now feature to invite others. In Teams, you have a couple of options to get multiple people on a call:
Ad-hoc Group Call: The quickest way is to start a group chat in Teams with the people you want to talk to. In the Teams Chat tab, click the “New chat” icon and add multiple people to the conversation (you can search and add several names). Once the group chat is created (you might give it a name like “Family Chat”), you can click the same video or phone call icons in the top-right corner. This will ring all members of the group chat at once and put YOU in a conference call together – just like a Skype group call.
Scheduled Meeting: If you want to plan a call for later, Teams allows you to schedule a meeting. Go to the Calendar or Meet section in Teams (on the desktop app, there’s a Calendar icon on the left). There, you can set a meeting time, add participants, and Teams will generate a link. This is akin to sending a calendar invite. Everyone can click the Join button at the meeting time. This approach is more formal but useful for something like setting up a weekly video chat with siblings every Sunday. You don’t necessarily need to schedule for casual use, but the option is there. For quick meetups, the first method (group chat call) is usually simpler.
“Meet Now” Instant Meeting: Teams also has a Meet feature that lets you create a meeting on the fly and get a link to share. For example, if your friend isn’t on your contacts yet, you could open Teams, click Meet now, and send them the invite link. They can join by clicking the link and using Teams on the web without even signing up. This is similar to Skype’s old “Meet Now” feature which generated a temporary meeting link for anyone to join.
During any group call, you can also turn on video, mute yourself, etc., and even share your screen (more on screen sharing below). Teams (free) currently supports up to 100 people in one meeting for up to 60 minutes at a time, which is plenty for most family gatherings or friend catch-ups. (For reference, Skype also allowed large group calls, but 100 participants is quite generous — you’ll likely never hit that limit in personal use.)
In Skype, you had a chat box where you could type messages, send emojis, etc., whether or not you were on a call. In Teams, the chat works very similarly:
Open a Chat: Click on the contact’s name in the Chat list (or start a new chat if it’s someone you haven’t messaged yet). This opens the conversation view, which looks like a messaging thread.
Type and Send: There will be a text box at the bottom of the chat window. Click in there, type your message, and hit Enter (or click the Send arrow/icon). Your message will appear in the timeline above, with your name and timestamp. The other person will get a notification that they’ve received a message. It’s virtually the same process as Skype’s messaging.
Emojis, GIFs, and Formatting: Teams chat has a smiley face icon for emojis – feel free to use icons like😀 or ❤️ just as you did in Skype. Teams also supports GIFs and stickers if you want to send something playful (there’s an icon for those as well). If you never used those in Skype, you can ignore them, but they’re there for fun. You can also format text (bold, italic) with a formatting toolbar – again, optional, but helpful if you want to emphasize something.
Sending Files in Chat: To send a file or photo, look for the attachment icon (usually a paperclip or a little file icon). Click it and you can choose a file from your computer or phone to send. The file will upload and appear in the chat. The recipient can then click to download or view it. In Teams, files you send are actually stored via OneDrive (Microsoft’s cloud) behind the scenes, but from your perspective it’s as straightforward as it was in Skype – select a file, send it, and the other person gets it.
Notifications: When you receive a new chat message in Teams, you’ll get a notification (just like Skype used to flash or play a sound). On a PC, Teams might flash in the taskbar and show a preview; on a phone, you’ll get a push notification. If you have Teams open, you’ll see the message in real time. You can customize notifications in settings, but by default you’ll be alerted so you don’t miss any messages.
In Skype, during a call you could click “Share Screen” to show the other side what’s on your display. In Teams, screen sharing is also easy to do during a call or meeting:
Start a Call or Meeting: You can only share your screen when you’re in a call/meeting with someone (you can’t just broadcast your screen outside of a call).
Click the Share Screen Button: In the call controls (usually centered at the bottom of the call window on desktop, or under a menu on mobile), look for an icon that looks like a square with an arrow (or simply a text button that says "Share"). This is the Share button. Click it, and Teams will prompt you to choose what you want to share. You can usually pick either your entire screen (if you have multiple monitors, choose which one) or a specific application window.
Choose What to Share: Select the screen or window you’d like the other person to see. For example, if you need to show a PowerPoint, you could share just that PowerPoint window. If you’re not sure, sharing your whole screen is simplest – just be mindful that they’ll see everything on your screen until you stop sharing.
Begin Sharing: Once you choose, Teams will start showing your screen to the other participant. They might get a prompt to accept viewing your share (the other person may have to click “Accept” to see your screen, especially if they’re on Skype or a different device). When sharing, you’ll usually see an outline or icon indicating your screen is being shared.
Stop Sharing: When you’re done, click the Stop Sharing button (usually a square icon or the same button you pressed to start sharing). This will end the screen share. You’ll still be on the call, but the other person won’t see your screen anymore.
Screen sharing in Teams is great for collaborating or showing something quickly. One small difference: if you share your screen in a one-on-one chat in Teams (not a pre-scheduled meeting), Teams will essentially start an “instant meeting” in that chat. This is normal – it just means your chat temporarily turns into a call when you share. The experience for you and your friend is seamless; you don’t need to do anything special beyond clicking share. Just know that you might see a small notification that a meeting started – that’s simply how Teams handles screen sharing sessions in the background.
Some Skype users – especially those who have used it for a long time – might have a Skype Number (a phone number people could dial that would ring in Skype) or use Skype to call landlines and cell phones by purchasing Skype Credit. If you never used those paid features, you can skip this part. But if you did, here’s what you should know:
Skype Credit and Calls to Phones: Skype allowed you to buy credit to call regular phone numbers. Going forward, Microsoft is not selling new Skype Credits or subscriptions, and existing subscriptions will not renew after April 3, 2025. However, if you still have Skype Credit balance or an active subscription, you can continue to use it for now. Microsoft Teams (free) includes a Skype Dial Pad feature for users who have remaining Skype credit or subscriptions. When you log into Teams with your Skype account, you may see a dial pad that lets you call phone numbers – it’s basically Skype’s calling integrated into Teams. So, you can still call a landline or mobile number with your existing credit via Teams. You won’t be able to add new credit, but you can use up what you have.
Receiving Calls on Your Skype Number: If you had a Skype Number (a virtual phone number), you will be able to receive calls to that number through the Skype web portal or in Teams (free) for the duration of your subscriptions. For example, if your Skype Number subscription is paid up through December 2025, you should still get incoming calls until then. Teams will notify you of incoming calls to your number, similar to how Skype did. Microsoft recommends that if you want to keep that number permanently, you consider porting it to another service (transferring the number to a phone carrier)(support.microsoft.com). That process is a bit technical and involves contacting a new provider, so if your Skype number was important (say, a business line), look into porting. If it was more optional, you might just let it expire.
In summary, for everyday Skype users who mainly did Skype-to-Skype calls and chats, Microsoft Teams will handle all your needs without any extra cost or hassle. If you were among the minority using Skype’s paid features (calling phones, Skype Number), there are ways to continue those in Teams or otherwise, but the key point is that all the free communication features are seamlessly available in Teams.
As you shift from Skype to Teams, here are a few tips to ensure everything goes smoothly:
Communicate with Your Contacts: Let your close contacts know you’re moving to Teams. The good news is, if they also use Skype, they’ll have to move as well, and they can reach you on Teams using the same account info. During the transition, a Skype user can still chat or call a Teams user and vice versa (microsoft.com), thanks to Microsoft linking the services behind the scenes. So you won’t lose touch with anyone just because you switched early – you can still communicate with friends who haven’t migrated yet. Eventually, though, everyone will need to be on Teams (or another app) to stay in touch.
Explore New Features (Gradually): Teams has more features than Skype had. You don’t have to use them all on day one, but knowing what’s available can enhance your experience. For example, you might try creating a Family community in Teams and inviting your relatives. This could serve as a shared space for everyone to post updates or plan the next reunion call. Or use the integrated Calendar to schedule video calls so that everyone gets a reminder. Also, feel free to play around with fun things like live emoji reactions during calls or custom backgrounds – these can make calls more enjoyable. Take it step by step; you’ll discover at your own pace how Teams can do more than Skype.
Use Microsoft’s Help Resources: Microsoft provides support articles and even short tutorial videos to help new Teams users. In the Teams app, clicking the Help section can give you guidance on common tasks. There are also tooltips within the app (for example, hovering over an icon will tell you what it does). If you’re ever unsure, a quick web search of “How to do XYZ in Teams” will likely yield a Microsoft help page or a community post with the answer. Remember, millions of others are transitioning too, and many have shared tips online.
Stay Secure and Up-to-Date: As always, be mindful of security. Use the official Microsoft website or app stores to download Teams – don’t trust any email or message that asks you to download an app from a link that looks suspicious. Your Microsoft account (Skype account) is the key to your data, so ensure your password is strong and consider enabling two-factor authentication for extra security. Teams will update itself with new features periodically; allow those updates so you always have the latest improvements and security patches.
Saying goodbye to Skype may feel bittersweet – after all, it’s an app that likely saw you through countless memories, from long-distance family calls to daily chats with friends. Skype has been “an integral part of shaping modern communications and supporting countless meaningful moments,” as Microsoft’s Jeff Teper reflected. Its impact over the past two decades is undeniable. However, this change represents a natural progression in technology. Microsoft Teams is the next step, and it’s well-equipped to serve our communication needs today and into the future.
The silver lining is that the essence of Skype lives on in Teams. You’ll still hear the familiar voices and see the familiar faces of your loved ones – just via a different app icon on your screen. The first time you launch Teams and spot your old chat with a friend or place a video call that feels just like the Skype calls you’re used to, you’ll realize not much has really been lost. In fact, you might gain some new conveniences along the way.
Change can be challenging, especially with technology, but Microsoft has made this transition as smooth as possible. By using your same login and migrating your contacts and chats automatically, they’ve removed most of the hassle. And remember, Microsoft is doing this so it can focus on one great service. With everyone on Teams, the company can bring updates and improvements faster, and ensure that you have a robust, up-to-date app for all your communication needs.
So, here’s to Skype – thank you for the years of connecting the world. And here’s to Microsoft Teams – ready to carry the torch forward. With a little patience and this guide in hand, you’ll be chatting, calling, and sharing your world on Teams in no time, just as comfortably as you did on Skype. After all, the goal remains the same: to stay connected with the people who matter most, no matter the distance or the app. Microsoft Teams is now the way to do it, and you’ve got everything you need to make the switch confidently.
Sources:
Microsoft 365 Blog – Jeff Teper’s announcement of Skype’s retirementmicrosoft.commicrosoft.com
Microsoft Support – “Skype is retiring in May 2025: What you need to know” (official FAQ on the transition)support.microsoft.comsupport.microsoft.com
Medium Tech Article – “Farewell Skype: The End of an Era in Communication”medium.commedium.com
CBS News – “Microsoft is shutting down Skype after 14 years…” (usage statistics and context)cbsnews.comcbsnews.com
Al Jazeera – News report on Skype’s shutdown and user migrationaljazeera.comaljazeera.com
Fox Business – “Microsoft shuts down Skype after 22 years…” (historical background and Microsoft’s statements)foxbusiness.comfoxbusiness.com
Microsoft Support – “Moving from Skype to Microsoft Teams Free” (step-by-step guidance)support.microsoft.comsupport.microsoft.com
Microsoft Teams Help – Support pages on using Teams features (calls, chat, meetings, screen sharing)support.microsoft.comsupport.microsoft.com
