Online memes erupt as Skype announces shutdown in May 2025

Skype—the OG of online calls, the program that made you yell "Can you hear me now?!" at your monitor—is officially having the plug pulled on May 5, 2025. Microsoft is putting Skype into the digital retirement home, likely alongside Clippy and Windows Phone.

Meanwhile, the company plans to shift its focus entirely to Microsoft Teams Free.

While this marks the end of an era for many users, that didn’t stop the internet from flooding the timeline with memes, funny takes, and savage comebacks. Because let’s be real, if we’re saying goodbye to our OG app, we might as well send it off with a laugh.

A user dramatically said:

"Rest in peace my dear old friend. I’ll never forget that incoming call sound."

Another user said:

"Always in our memories 😔"

A user said:

"Microsoft kills what they touch 😭"

This one user humorously summed up everything:

A user nostalgically said:

"Skype on the iPad while playing COD"

Even Discord hopped on to say:

"thank you for walking so we could run 😭rip to the og gaming chat app"

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When is Skype shutting down?

Microsoft has determined that the world can use fewer messaging apps clogging up the digital landscape.

Rather than allowing Skype to stumble along as a relic of the past, they're giving Teams Free the red carpet treatment—i.e., the younger, hipper, and (supposedly) more powerful replacement.

Hence, your beloved contacts and chat history will transfer automatically, so you won't have to endure the "Hey, who's this?" messages from old acquaintances.

If you're a die-hard Skype fan (all 36 million of you remaining), Microsoft has two options:

Switch to Microsoft Teams Free— Sign in with your Skype account, and everything will be there.

Export your data—If you'd prefer not to jump on the Teams bandwagon, you can pack your virtual bag and take your chat history, contacts, and call records with you.

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What happens to my Skype credits and subscriptions?

You thought Microsoft was going to leave you in the lurch? Sorta, but not quite.

If you have an existing paid Skype subscription, you're good to go until your renewal date. After May 5, 2025, the Skype Dial Pad will exist only on the web or within Microsoft Teams.

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Why is Skype shutting down?

Once upon a time, Skype was the way to communicate online.

Microsoft even shelled out $8.5 billion to buy it in 2011, probably thinking they just secured the future of online communication.

Fast forward a decade, and Skype’s been left in the dust by Zoom, WhatsApp, FaceTime, and, well… anything that doesn’t require five updates just to send a message.

The pandemic was Skype's moment to shine.

While Zoom was the one being called on for everything from work meetings to virtual happy hours, Skype users sat around wondering why their calls kept dropping.

In 2023, Skype only had 36 million monthly active users, whereas Teams had a mere 320 million. That's not even close to being a competition.

Microsoft realized the writing on the wall and chose to bet big on Teams, which, granted, does a lot more than merely video calls.

It has meeting hosting, calendar integration, and even features to create communities, so it's more of an all-in-one hub than a mere calling app.

Microsoft’s game plan is pretty clear: fewer redundant apps, more consolidation, and a focus on their big-picture ecosystem.

Teams isn’t just for corporate drones anymore—it’s become a go-to for personal and professional use alike.

In terms of meeting minutes, Teams' user base has increased fourfold in the last two years. Microsoft’s even throwing AI in there, so expect it to start auto-scheduling your life if you’re not careful.