Skype’s Final Call: End of 22-Year Digital Legacy

Launched in 2003 and acquired by Microsoft for $8.5 billion in 2011, Skype revolutionized VoIP calling before rivals like Zoom and WhatsApp eroded its user base from 300 million at its height to just 23 million by 2020.

In February 2025, Microsoft announced that, effective May 5, all Skype consumer services will cease and users will be smoothly migrated into Microsoft Teams Free, which now combines chat, calls, meetings, and Office integration, while Skype for Business remains unaffected.