MICROSOFT 365
Replacing Skype
By Peter Deegan • Comment about this article
In late February, Microsoft announced that Skype would be retired on May 5, 2025. What can you use instead? It’s a lot more complicated than Microsoft makes out.
Originally developed by Skype Technologies and released in 2003, Skype went through several owners before being acquired in 2011 by Microsoft. Among other things, Redmond replaced Windows Live Messenger (aka MSN Messenger) with Skype and created a new tier, Skype for Business.
The seemingly firm date is only partially true. If you’re using Skype as a stand-alone, you’ve got just over a month left. Microsoft 365 users have a bit more time for making phone calls — until March 2026.
Let’s talk about replacements for this two-decades-old product.
There’s no direct replacement for all Skype’s features for computer-to-computer connections and calls to regular phones (POTS, or Plain Old Telephone Service). There are several alternatives to the main computer-to-computer call feature of Skype, plus other options that can replace the computer-to-POTS service for cheaper overseas calls.
First, let’s look at some of the options for device-to-device communications, audio or video calls, text messaging, photo/file transfer, and possibly screen sharing.
Teams (free)
Microsoft’s recommendation to replace Skype is — wait for it — Microsoft Teams (please try to contain your surprise). But Teams free can’t call phone numbers, so it’s not a complete replacement. This is a fact that Microsoft skips over.
Teams (free) comes with Windows and is also available for Mac, Apple devices, and Android. There’s also a Web browser version, which is enough for occasional use. A Microsoft account is required for login.
Free Teams allows unlimited chat with individuals (Microsoft says “friends and family”) and group calls for up to 100 people — with a one-hour limit. Those with Microsoft 365 plans (Personal and Family) can handle groups of up to 300 participants and 30 hours.
To get started, launch Teams and look under the Chat button. Contacts are displayed, and at the bottom is the Invite to Teams option (see Figure 1) that creates a unique Web link to send to the people with whom you want to communicate.
