Skype is dead after over 20 years, deprecated by Microsoft in May to make room for Teams

After over 20 years of service, Microsoft is officially shutting down Skype in May, urging users to switch to Teams for calls and chats.

Folks over at XDA Developers spotted a string of codes in the latest Skype for Windows preview that states, “Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams.”

As spotted further by software digger @XenoPhanter on X, there are also other messages like “Start using Teams” and “Move to Teams today” that highlight the benefits of making the switch. It also mentions that many “of your friends have already moved to Teams Free.”

Other strings show progress updates, like “Downloading Microsoft Teams” and “Installing Microsoft Teams,” with a final note saying Teams will open automatically once the installation is done.

Skype arrived back in 2003 as a software that allowed people to make free voice and video calls over the internet. It quickly became popular for connecting people across the world, especially with features like messaging, file sharing, and group calls.

It wasn’t until 2011 that Microsoft bought Skype. It did continue to grow, both for personal and business uses.

But, despite the head start, Skype’s popularity declined as users turned to platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet when the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. That was surprising.

Then, the final low blow came in 2021 when Skype’s market share dropped to 6.6% from 32.4% the year before. The company made $184.3 million in 2022, which is a low amount compared to its $722 million annual revenue back in 2013.

Ouch.