Veteran video call app Skype will apparently be fully switched off by May this year, according to a string of code in the latest Skype for Windows preview, spotted by XDADevelopers readers and verified by staff members.
In place of Skype, the string suggests using Microsoft Teams, also noting how many of your contacts already use Teams to convince you to make the jump.
Skype first launched in 2003, and has been part of Microsoft's stable since 2011. While it enjoyed some attention post-acquisition, including integration into Windows 10, the introduction of Microsoft Teams in 2017 spelled the beginning of the end for the Estonian-built app.
Teams is already responsible for the death of Skype for Business in 2021. And with Teams video chats built into the original Windows 11 interface (though removed in later updates), Microsoft's clearly been wanting to make Teams its single video call solution for both personal and professional use. We just thought we'd have longer to say goodbye, given that Skype for Business took almost two years to completely vanish.
Finding an alternative after 22 years
I'm sure many of you reading this have fond memories of using Skype at some point in the last two and a bit decades, but I'd wager mine are a little fresher than yours. That's because basically every Sunday since I left home in 2012, I've been using Skype to call my parents.
While newer and better video call services have appeared in the intervening time, such as Apple's FaceTime, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger's video call options, or Google Meet, Zoom and of course Microsoft Teams for business-focused applications, Skype remained our app of choice. Even if cutting Skype looks good on Microsoft's financial spread sheet, I still can't imagine it's going to do much for Teams' non-business use rates. I myself can't imagine switching to Teams for my weekly family calls, and expect we'll settle for WhatsApp or FaceTime.
If you're also on the hunt for a new place to talk to friends, loved ones or colleagues, then fortunately we have our best video chat apps guide to help you pick a new one. You still have a few weeks to figure out what to do if you're still reliant on Skype, but you'll have to make a decision eventually.
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