Mumbai, February 28: Skype,  conversational software that once connected millions of users across the world, will reportedly shut down in May 2025. Microsoft will shut down its VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service, which has been used for over two decades. Skype has been used by people to chat, call, and share multimedia files using an internet connection with another person in a different location. The platform has been struggling to attract users who have moved on with other platforms.

Skype operated similarly to WhatsApp, allowing users to interact with each other for social and business causes. However, the platform, launched in 2003, may finally shut down after years of service. According to reports, Skype is not as popular as it once was. However, Microsoft claimed that there were still 36 million users accessing the platform on a daily basis to connect with friends, family members, or colleagues. Banking Apps Down in UK: Major Outage Hits Online Services of Lloyds Bank, Nationwide, Halifax, TSB Bank, First Direct and Bank of Scotland; Customers Face Issues on Salary Day.

The reports said that the latest version of Skype preview had a hidden string that said, "Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams." The reports said there was also another message that said that some of the friends that the users had already moved to Teams for free.

Despite the reports calling it a Skype shutdown in May, there is no official confirmation from Microsoft. However, the reports said the tech giant was not interested in continuing with Skype. The company stopped giving Skype credits, which were used to call others across the world. Zerodha Facing Business Degrowth for 1st Time in 15 Years, CEO and Co-Founder Nithin Kamath Says Trading Volumes Drop 30% Amid Stock Market Crash

Skype has been overlooked by many people after the introduction of alternative platforms. Microsoft has been trying to revive the platform by introducing new features, but there are fewer responses to Skype. The company rolled out Skype Clips and integrated Copilot AI, but the platform has not been adopted. A report mentioned that Skype failed because it missed its potential to popularise its services during the Covid-19 period.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 28, 2025 04:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).