Skype was retired on May 5, 2025. Microsoft now directs consumer Skype users to Microsoft Teams Free. In 2026, the important question is no longer when Skype will shut down, but what former users should do with their account, contacts, chat history and calling setup.
This guide covers consumer Skype. Microsoft states that the May 2025 retirement did not apply to Skype for Business, which follows separate Microsoft lifecycle and administration guidance.
What happened to Skype?
Microsoft retired consumer Skype on May 5, 2025 and shifted its communication focus toward Microsoft Teams Free. Microsoft says former Skype users can sign in to Teams Free with their Skype credentials, and eligible chats and contacts can transfer into Teams.
The transition also ended Skype’s paid consumer calling business. Microsoft stopped selling new Skype Credit and subscriptions before the shutdown, and its current support documentation says all Skype Number subscriptions ended in May 2026. Skype Number port-out requests are no longer available.
Can you still use Skype in 2026?
No. Consumer Skype is retired. If your goal is messaging, calls or meetings, Microsoft recommends moving to Teams Free or choosing another communication platform.
For businesses, Teams Free is not automatically the right replacement. Organizations should also evaluate identity management, admin controls, meeting policies, retention, compliance, guest access, recordings, integrations and licensing before standardizing on a platform. Brandligo’s business online meeting platform comparison compares Microsoft Teams with Zoom Workplace, Google Meet, Cisco Webex and GoTo Meeting for those decisions.
How to move from Skype to Microsoft Teams Free
- Install or open Microsoft Teams Free. Use Microsoft’s current Teams app or web experience rather than an old Skype installer.
- Sign in with the Microsoft account you used for Skype. Microsoft says Skype credentials can be used to access Teams Free.
- Check your transferred contacts and conversations. Do not assume every historical item is still available. Microsoft changed its retention and migration rules after Skype’s retirement.
- Review your calling needs. If you depended on Skype Credit, Skype Number or international PSTN calling, confirm what Teams or another provider currently supports before relying on it as a replacement.
- For a company deployment, involve IT before rollout. Business users should verify security, account ownership, retention, guest access, meeting recording and support requirements rather than treating a consumer migration as an enterprise deployment plan.
What happened to Skype chat history and data?
This is where older shutdown articles can now be misleading. Microsoft extended the Skype data-export period after the original retirement, but the general request window ran through June 15, 2026. That deadline has now passed.
Microsoft’s current support guidance says users who were active on Skype between December 2024 and February 2025 and then moved to and used Teams Free before December 1, 2025 can continue to access qualifying Skype chat and call history through Teams Free. For users who were not active in Skype and Teams Free during the relevant period, Microsoft said data would be deleted after June 15, 2026.
Because those dates have passed, do not rely on old instructions telling you to “export before Skype shuts down.” Instead, sign in to Teams Free with the same Microsoft account and check what history is actually available to you now.
What happened to Skype Number and paid calling?
Microsoft ended new paid Skype purchases during the retirement transition. Current Microsoft support says all Skype Number subscriptions ended in May 2026 and port-out requests are no longer available.
If your organization used Skype as part of a business phone workflow, treat this as a telephony migration rather than a simple chat-app replacement. Verify phone numbers, inbound and outbound calling, emergency calling requirements, geographic availability, call queues, auto attendants, recording requirements and number ownership before selecting a replacement.
Teams Free vs a business collaboration platform
Teams Free is useful for individuals and small groups that mainly need chat, calls and meetings. A business choosing a long-term collaboration platform should look beyond feature checklists and compare administration, compliance, identity, data governance, integrations, support and total licensing cost.
If your company already uses Microsoft 365, Teams may fit naturally with Microsoft identity, calendars and files. If your organization is primarily on Google Workspace, Google Meet may reduce friction. Zoom, Webex and GoTo can also be stronger fits depending on meeting scale, external participants, room systems, support needs and procurement requirements.
For a current side-by-side decision framework, see Best Online Meeting Platforms for Business in 2026. If you use Teams and want to organize important conversations, Brandligo also has a guide to saving messages in Microsoft Teams.
Migration checklist for businesses
- Confirm which Skype accounts, contacts and conversation history still exist.
- Separate consumer Skype users from any Skype for Business environment.
- Identify paid calling, phone-number or PSTN dependencies before changing tools.
- Choose whether Teams Free, Microsoft 365/Teams business licensing or another platform better fits the organization.
- Verify retention, compliance, guest access, meeting recording and identity requirements.
- Document the replacement platform and provide users with a clear sign-in and support process.
Frequently asked questions
When did Skype shut down?
Microsoft retired consumer Skype on May 5, 2025.
Can I use my old Skype login with Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft says former Skype users can sign in to Teams Free using their Skype credentials. Contacts and eligible chats can transfer, subject to Microsoft’s migration and retention rules.
Can I still export Skype data?
Microsoft extended the general Skype export request window through June 15, 2026. That date has passed, so users should now check Teams Free with the same Microsoft account to see what migrated history remains available.
Did Skype for Business shut down on May 5, 2025?
No. Microsoft’s consumer Skype retirement notice explicitly says the change did not apply to Skype for Business. Organizations using Skype for Business should follow the lifecycle guidance for their specific Microsoft product and deployment.
Bottom line
Skype is no longer an active consumer communication platform. For former users in 2026, Microsoft Teams Free is the direct migration path, but historical-data and Skype Number deadlines have already passed. Businesses should use the retirement as an opportunity to reassess their collaboration and calling requirements rather than automatically adopting a consumer replacement.
Sources: Microsoft 365 Blog, “The next chapter: Moving from Skype to Microsoft Teams,” February 28, 2025; Microsoft Support, “Skype is retiring in May 2025: What you need to know,” current 2026 support guidance.
