Skype Replacement: Skype Close: Who will replace Skype, and what happens to your personal data? View all alternatives to Microsoft Platform
Skype's Journey
Skype was created by a team of engineers in Tallinn, Estonia. It uses VoIP technology to provide Internet-based voice calls. eBay purchased Skype in 2005 and added video calling functionality. In 2011, Microsoft acquired Skype from eBay for $8.5 billion. At that time, Skype had 170 million users worldwide. Until 2017, Skype, including the U.S. government, was widely used. Later, Microsoft introduced the team, which gradually replaced Skype in many features.
Transition to Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams Free will now take over Skype's services. Users can log in to the team using their Skype account details. No need to create a new account. All chats and contacts will be automatically moved to the team. Teams allow for one-to-one and group calls, messaging and file sharing for free. It also includes features such as hosting, calendar usage and community tools.
Skype data and migrations
After logging in to the team for free, the prompt will guide the user to migrate the data. Microsoft pointed out that the process takes less than a minute. However, chats with team work or school accounts, Skype business users, and private conversations will not be transferred. Bot content and chatting with yourself will not be migrated either. These formats are not supported by the free team.
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Users can export or delete Skype data by January 2026. If they switch to the team before this, Skype history will remain available. After that, if no action is taken, the data will be deleted. Call Forwarding, Skype Credit Gift and Caller ID settings will be stopped from May 5, 2025.
Team Free
Free teams do not support paid phone plans. Small businesses can use Microsoft Teams phones as essential teams. Skype for Business users are not affected by this change.
Skype alternatives
Users can explore VoIP options such as Google Voice working in the United States and Canada. Viber Out offers a monthly global call plan. Zoom Phone allows VoIP calls from the Zoom app. These platforms can help users transition from Skype.
FAQ
Will my Skype chat history be available on the team?
Yes, if you are logged in with the same account. But private messages, bot content and some chat won't be transferred to the team for free.
What if I don't move to the team before January 2026?
If you do not take action, your Skype data (including messages and calls) will be permanently deleted.
