The well-known messaging app Skype, which operated for over 20 years, officially ceased operations today, May 5, 2025. 

This was announced by Jeff Teper, president of the applications and platforms division for collaboration at Microsoft, in an interview with CNBC.

Skype has officially closed its doors today

Teper explained that the company has decided to focus on the development of its newer platform, Teams, which has already integrated most of Skype's features.

“We learned a lot from Skype, but it's time to move forward,” Teper stated in the CNBC interview.

Microsoft has encouraged Skype users to transition to Teams. Users can log into Teams using their Skype credentials, and their contacts and chat history are automatically migrated to the new system.

Additionally, any funds in Skype accounts can be utilized in Teams. Sales of Skype subscriptions were halted earlier, and user data from the messenger is available for export.

Skype: the messaging service that has now ceased operations

Skype was a platform that enabled communication among users worldwide. Millions of both individuals and businesses utilized Skype for free video and voice calls, instant messaging, and file sharing.

Users could access Skype on various devices, including mobile phones, computers, and tablets, making it widely available wherever users were.

What is Microsoft Teams: insights on Skype's successor platform

In light of today’s closure of Skype, Microsoft is actively promoting its communication platform, Microsoft Teams, as the primary alternative and successor.

Microsoft Teams is a comprehensive communication platform designed by Microsoft. It offers video chat, text chat, file sharing, and other communication capabilities. Teams is available for download on Windows, Mac, as well as mobile devices running iOS and Android.

A significant advantage of Teams is its integration with other applications through Microsoft AppSource, allowing users to use third-party apps, for example, for remote lesson planning.

The collaborative features of Teams are designed not only for remote use but can also be applied during in-person meetings or in blended learning formats. This enables students to have continuous access to the same tasks and resources regardless of their location.

Educators can utilize Microsoft Teams to create a virtual “class team,” where they can hold online meetings with students, deliver lessons, organize class activities, publish assignments, create tests, assess student work, and provide feedback.