It has been confirmed: Skype is no more. The veteran voice-over-internet service, once the most popular choice for online communication, is being discontinued by its owner, Microsoft. Once revered as the premier platform for making internet calls, Skype is set to follow in the footsteps of Google Hangouts and many other pioneering applications. Starting on May 5, it will officially be succeeded by Microsoft Teams.

This marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in digital communication. Introduced in 2003, Skype rapidly became a household name, turning the act of video calling into an everyday occurrence, so much so that “to Skype” became an everyday term. Facilitating numerous long-distance romances, podcast recordings, and virtual gaming sessions, it has played a vital role in connecting people. However, following its decline in popularity during the pandemic as alternatives like Zoom rose to prominence, Microsoft has decided that the time has come for Skype to retire.

Transitioning to Microsoft Teams

To ease the switch, Microsoft is introducing features that will allow current Skype users to migrate seamlessly to Microsoft Teams. In the coming days, users will have the opportunity to sign into a Teams account, effortlessly importing their Skype conversations, contacts, photos, and call histories. For those wishing to move on from Skype, options to export and download their data locally will also be available. Microsoft has also developed a tool that enables users to access their Skype chat history even after the service has been discontinued.

Additionally, the company assures that users of both Skype and Teams will continue to be able to communicate with one another until Skype officially shuts down. This means that if you migrate to Teams and send a message to someone still using Skype, they will still be able to receive it.

Farewell to Skype Calls

One major feature that will be lost with the transition to Teams is the ability to make phone calls. While Microsoft pledges to honor existing Skype credits and subscriptions, support for paid Skype functionalities will cease after the transition, and current subscribers will not have the option to renew their plans once they expire. To assist users in utilizing their remaining benefits, the Skype dial pad will remain accessible via the Skype web portal and through Teams post-transition.

This decision to phase out Skype comes after a previous move in December, where Microsoft began discontinuing new sales of Skype Credit and the Skype Number feature, which allowed users to manage calls and texts from a conventional phone number. In hindsight, the signs hinting at this transition have been apparent for some time.

“We hope to successfully transition the majority of Skype users,” stated Jeff Tepper from Microsoft in an interview, “but we want to ensure users feel they have control over the process.”

For those looking to transition, although Teams serves as a strong alternative for personal use, its business-centric branding may not appeal to everyone. Here are some of the top free video calling applications to explore as alternatives once the transition from Skype is complete.