Microsoft is shuttering Skype, marking the end of the once-dominant voice and video chatting service after two decades. 

In an announcement Friday, the software giant confirmed that Skype would close in May. The company said users can still log into the free tier of Microsoft Teams using their Skype username and password. 

Microsoft purchased Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion and integrated the technology into its suite of products, including Microsoft Office, Xbox and Windows Phone. The purchase was the largest acquisition for the company at the time. 

As of 2023, Skype had 36 million users, a huge downgrade from the 300 million monthly users Microsoft reported in 2016. 

Despite an increase in users during the coronavirus pandemic, Skype has struggled for relevancy in the past decade. Newer platforms like Zoom have usurped Skype’s place at the top of the video conferencing market by offering new features and simpler interfaces.

Additionally, Skype struggled to adapt to the smartphone revolution. Despite having its own mobile app, users flocked to Apple’s FaceTime, which offered many of the same services and came preinstalled on iPhones. 

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.