Skype is shutting down for good: How not to lose your data
Microsoft has officially announced that Skype will shut down on 5 May 2025. Users are encouraged to migrate to Microsoft Teams using their Skype credentials. All chats and contacts will be automatically migrated. For those who do not plan to migrate to Teams, a data export feature is available until January 2026.
Here's What We Know
Skype was launched in 2003 and peaked in popularity in 2011 with 150 million monthly active users. However, with the emergence of competitors such as Zoom and WhatsApp, its popularity declined. Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion, but has since focused on developing Teams.
How to save data
To avoid losing chat history and media files, users can use the inbuilt data export tool:
- Go to the data request page
- Select the necessary data to be exported (chats, files)
- Wait for a notification that the archive is ready (up to 48 hours)
- Download the archive and extract it using 7-Zip or your operating system's inbuilt tools.
Alternatives to Skype
For those looking for a Skype replacement other than Microsoft Teams, the following options are available:
- Zoom: a popular video conferencing platform
- Google Meet: integrated with other Google services
- Slack: suitable for teamwork and communication
- Discord: focused on communities and gamers
- Signal: focuses on security and privacy
The closure of Skype marks the end of the internet communication era, but opens up new opportunities for users in more modern and functional platforms.
Source: Microsoft
