Skype Shutdown in May 2025 What should you do? SwitchboardFREE

To get started, download the app on your device from the official website and log in using your Skype credentials. If you’re struggling with poor internet, check in with our guide to the best wi-fi extenders and wi-fi mesh systems. For more help and technical advice, go to our Tech Support online booking tool. Skype’s refund policy stated that they would provide refunds in full if customers had used less than €1 of their Skype Credit.

Cybercrime on application

In December 2010, tech industry commentator Om Malik called it one of the “key applications of the modern web”, when the website suffered a two-day global outage. It was once one of the world’s most popular websites and allowed people to make voice calls via their computers to friends and family all over the globe for free. Skype, the video-calling service that had hundreds of millions of users, is closing in May, its owner Microsoft has said. Google Meet is primarily used for business calls as it works alongside the company’s suite of products including Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive. For example, creating an event in Google Calendar gives you the option to link it to a Google Meet call link. To make a call using FaceTime, you’ll need the person’s phone number or registered email address.

For Business Users: SwitchboardFREE

“Upon a 22bet duly submitted request, Skype will refund you on a pro-rata basis for the unused period of a Product.”

Customer service

Microsoft said the Skype Dial Pad – a feature that allows users to make phone calls to landlines and mobile numbers – will be available to remaining paid users from the Skype web portal and within Teams. Skype provided support through their web support portal, support community, @skypesupport on Twitter, and Skype Facebook page. Direct contact via email and live chat was available through their web support portal. Chat Support was a premium feature available to Skype Premium and some other paid users. SwitchboardFREE is designed to give businesses the professional features they need without the hassle of traditional phone systems.

When Microsoft bought Skype, the company was buying into an app that had been downloaded one billion times and had hundreds of millions of users. WhatsApp is free to download on mobile and also has a desktop variant called WhatsApp Web that lets you send texts from your account through a computer. With Microsoft shutting down Skype, now is the time to switch to a more reliable, feature-packed VoIP provider. For Skype customers who pay for some features, Microsoft said they will be able to use their service up, external until their next renewal period. “Skype led the way for video calls. But now it’s officially done. Microsoft is pulling the plug, but honestly… it’s been on life support for years.” Another early user of Skype called Louise told the BBC she and her partner used the service to chat when they “embarked on a transatlantic relationship”.

• Chat Support was a premium feature available to Skype Premium and some other paid users.
• Direct contact via email and live chat was available through their web support portal.
• Teams is a service that lets you chat with contacts and share files online.

To get started on Messenger, you’ll need to create a Facebook account if you don’t already have one. You can use Messenger through the Facebook website or as a standalone app on your smartphone or PC. Microsoft revealed Skype will be taken offline so it can ‘focus on Microsoft Teams’. The move will affect all users who currently rely on Skype to make calls, manage meetings and keep in touch with loved ones.

If you don’t get an answer, you have the option to record a video or audio message. Below, our tech experts explain what happens next and talk you through the main alternatives to Skype. The online communication platform Skype has helped keep millions of people connected since its launch in 2003. However, Microsoft has confirmed plans to retire the app later this year. Before and during the Microsoft acquisition, Skype withdrew licensing from several third parties producing software and hardware compatible with Skype. In combination, these two products made it possible to create roaming cordless mesh networks with a robust handoff.