After 23 years of connecting individuals all over the world, Skype, the favored video-calling service, is shutting down. Microsoft, the dad or mum firm, confirmed that the official sundown date for the service is Might 5, 2025.
Skype customers can both migrate all their contacts and chat information to Microsoft Groups, or they will select to obtain their Skype information and transition to a different video-calling service.
To help customers within the swap, we’ve created a information on how one can migrate to Groups or obtain Skype information. Moreover, we’ve curated an inventory of other video-calling apps that may exchange Skype.
How one can transfer from Skype to Microsoft Groups
Earlier than Might 5, Skype customers can sign up to Groups without spending a dime utilizing their Skype credentials. As soon as logged in, all their chats and contacts will routinely switch to the app.
Groups presents options just like Skype, together with one-on-one and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. Whereas Skype was primarily designed for smaller teams (as much as 20 individuals) and informal use, Groups is extra business-focused, accommodating as much as 10,000 individuals in a single video name. It additionally comes with superior security measures and varied integrations, similar to Evernote, OneDrive, Workplace 365, Salesforce, SharePoint, Trello, and extra.
Groups is offered on Android, iOS, Mac, PC, and the net.
How one can export Skype information
For customers who aren’t keen on making the transition to Microsoft Groups, we nonetheless advocate exporting account information. This ensures that priceless info — similar to messages, information, and make contact with particulars — is backed up and might be accessed sooner or later.
- Open Skype and log in.
- Click on on the three horizontal dots beneath the account identify within the prime left nook.
- Go to Settings > Account & Profile > Your Account.
- After being redirected to Skype’s net portal, select from both Export contacts (.csv), Export Caller ID numbers (.csv), or Export information and chat historical past.
- The “Export files and chat history” choice lets customers obtain Conversations and Recordsdata.
- Click on Submit Request and Proceed.
- When the export course of is full, click on Obtain.
Listed below are the very best Skype alternate options
Google Meet
An apparent advantage of utilizing Google Meet is that it’s out there without spending a dime with a Google account. Since lots of people are already utilizing Google and have present accounts, transitioning to this platform could be pretty simple.
Google Meet permits customers to carry conferences with as much as 100 individuals, file conferences, share screens, and extra. A disadvantage with the free plan is that if a gathering has greater than three individuals, there’s a 60-minute time restrict.
Giant firms could need to buy a Google Workspace plan for options like having as much as 25 co-hosts, dividing individuals into smaller breakout rooms throughout conferences, creating polls, establishing a Q&A session, livestreaming to YouTube, and extra. Workspace — which has plans for $7/month, $14/month, $22/month, and up — additionally presents AI-powered instruments by its Gemini assistant, which helps Meet customers take notes and create customized background photos.
Zoom
Zoom is one other common web-conferencing device. It presents a number of useful options, together with the power to host as much as 100 individuals and chat in each personal and public teams, and has instruments similar to notes, a whiteboard, and screen-sharing capabilities. Customers also can file conferences and entry transcripts.
Nevertheless, one draw back is the 40-minute time restrict per assembly for customers on the free plan. To keep away from having conferences reduce off, customers might want to buy a subscription, which ranges from $13/month to $18/month. Paid subscribers have entry to Zoom’s AI Companion, which incorporates the power to summarize conferences and ask questions on transcribed conferences.
Webex
Webex, the Cisco-owned video conferencing device, presents an identical plan to its rivals. As an example, it has options similar to display screen sharing, the power to file periods, a whiteboard functionality, and extra.
The free plan consists of as much as 100 attendees per assembly, in addition to an unlucky 40-minute time restrict. Webex additionally presents plans from $12/month, $22/month, and up, relying on group dimension. The paid tiers include an AI assistant, stay polling, Q&A, and the power so as to add as much as 1,000 attendees.
Discord
Discord was initially designed as a chat platform for players, however it may well additionally function an alternative choice to Skype for private use or for smaller groups. Nevertheless, it’s not really helpful for bigger companies, because it limits calls to 25 individuals.
On the constructive facet, Discord presents limitless assembly lengths and options similar to display screen sharing, the power to file conferences, and breakout rooms. The platform has a free plan along with two paid choices priced at $5/month and $10/month, making it one of many extra reasonably priced selections out there, relying on customers’ wants.
Slack
Whereas Slack is probably not very best for formally scheduled conferences with giant teams, it may be efficient for spontaneous conferences inside group chats. The Huddle function in Slack permits customers to simply transition from a chat thread to a casual audio or video name with colleagues. On the free plan, Huddles can accommodate solely two individuals, whereas paid plans (priced at $7/month or $12/month) permit for as much as 50.
Sign
Sign, the encrypted messaging app, has offered group video-calling options since 2020 and might accommodate as much as 50 individuals in a single name.
Though it’s not a direct competitor to Skype, it permits customers to share hyperlinks for calls, enabling them to easily ship the hyperlink to others relatively than creating a gaggle, very like Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Groups do. Notably, Sign is free to make use of.
Different related apps for cellular customers seeking to video name with smaller teams embody WhatsApp, Fb Messenger, and Apple FaceTime.
