After years of speculation and the gradual decline of Skype, Microsoft finally seems ready to shut it down. According to XDA Developers, a message about Skype's closure in May is already embedded in the code of a beta version of the Windows app: "Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Keep calling and chatting in Teams."
Launched in 2003, Skype was once a major platform for voice and video calling. Microsoft acquired it in 2011 for $8.5 billion, hoping to make the service a key part of its communications ecosystem. However, despite attempts to integrate Skype into Windows 10, its popularity has waned due to competition from Apple's FaceTime, Google's many communication services, and Slack. Microsoft's strategy for Skype has been inconsistent. After the acquisition, the company shut down Windows Live Messenger in favor of Skype. In 2015, the company tried to integrate Skype into Windows 10, but changed its mind again nine months later. In 2016, it replaced the Windows 10 version with a UWP app, but later returned to a Win32 app.
In 2017, Microsoft launched Teams, a collaboration platform built on Skype technology to compete with Slack. Since then, Teams has become a priority for the company, gaining widespread adoption across business, education, and personal use. Signs of Skype's impending demise have been around for a long time. When Windows 11 was released in 2021, it had built-in Teams integration, signaling that Microsoft was focusing its resources on developing another platform. Many expected Skype to be shut down in 2021, when it discontinued Skype for Business.
Although Microsoft has not yet made an official statement regarding this decision, it is likely that May 2025 will mark the end of Skype's 20-year history.