Final Goodbye: The End of Skype in the U.S.

MOBILE, Ala. ( WALA )- Skype, the groundbreaking internet calling platform that once ruled the market, is now shutting down. The familiar ringtone that signaled when you initiated a Skype call and awaited someone’s response serves as a nostalgic echo from its prime days.

Introduced in 2003, Skype stood out as the pioneer in providing free voice and video calls via the internet. Its user base surged rapidly, reaching up to 300 million at one point. However, when Microsoft decided to discontinue support for Skype on May 5, many users were left searching for another solution to this groundbreaking online communication tool.

The first announcement was made in late February. Individuals seeking alternative options may want to look at Google Voice, which is a telephone-number based service enabling users to place VoIP calls within the U.S. or Canada.

Another popular choice is Zoom, which has also been implicated in contributing to Skype's decline according to some individuals. Throughout the pandemic, Zoom emerged as the preferred tool for video conferences, whereas Skype found itself lagging behind. The straightforward nature of Zoom, making it easier to set up a communication application for an aging relative who lives far away, gave it an edge over competitors like Skype.

Skype's performance was remarkable, but it has now joined the list of former powerhouses like Vine, AIM, and AskFM that have since been discontinued.

Users of Skype can utilize their current accounts to sign in to Teams and choose to seamlessly transfer their contacts and chat history over.

If you possessed a Skype number or a calling subscription, it ceased to auto-renew on April 3rd automatically.