WASHINGTON, US – Microsoft has announced that its long-standing communication platform, Skype, will be officially retired in May 2025. The move will affect both free and paid users of Skype, though Skype for Business will remain operational.
In its place, Microsoft is encouraging users to transition to Microsoft Teams Free, a modern communication platform that offers many of Skype’s core features — including messaging, audio, and video calling — along with enhanced capabilities such as calendar scheduling and community building.
Users can log in to Teams Free using their existing Skype credentials, which will allow for the automatic migration of contacts and chat history. However, some data types — including private conversations, chats with work or school accounts, and bot content — will not carry over. Microsoft has assured users that the migration process will be seamless and take less than a minute once initiated.
During the transition period, both Skype and Teams Free can be used concurrently, and Skype data will remain accessible until January 2026. After that, users who have not migrated or exported their data risk losing it permanently.
For those with Skype calling plans and Skype Numbers, subscriptions will continue to renew until April 3, 2025. After that, existing balances can still be used via the Skype web portal or through Teams Free. However, as of now, new purchases of Skype subscriptions, credit, or numbers are no longer available.
A number of Skype services — including SMS, call forwarding, and caller ID setup — will be discontinued from May 5, 2025. Microsoft has also confirmed that the 60-minute monthly Skype call benefit tied to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans will be phased out by March 2026.
Teams Free, which is geared toward personal and small group use, will become the default platform for individual users. Meanwhile, businesses seeking more advanced features are encouraged to explore Microsoft Teams Essentials or other enterprise-level offerings.
While Skype for Business remains unaffected, Microsoft’s announcement marks a significant step in its broader effort to consolidate its communication services under the Teams brand, reflecting a shift toward integrated, cloud-based collaboration tools.
For more information and to begin the migration process, users are encouraged to visit the official Microsoft Teams website.
