Skype Enabled My Marriage, But It’s Shutting Down Now

It seems Microsoft is preparing to pull the plug on Skype. In the latest preview build, a hidden string indicates that “Skype will no longer be available” starting in May, nudging users toward Teams instead.

While Microsoft hasn’t officially announced this move, it’s safe to assume that Skype’s days are numbered. After all, Microsoft has been focusing on Teams for quite some time, leading to Skype’s steady decline in usage.

It’s a bittersweet moment for me, as Skype holds a special place in my life. Writing this brings back a flood of memories, particularly because it was pivotal in my early relationship with my now-wife, Leah. We’ve been together for nearly 12 years, and for much of our first year, Skype was our lifeline.

I can’t help but feel a pang of sadness at Skype’s impending departure. I know other platforms could have bridged the distance between Leah and me, but it was Skype that did it. That connection is unforgettable.

When I heard the iconic Skype ringtone, it meant I was moments away from seeing Leah, even from across the ocean. Those Skype dates—watching movies “side by side” despite being continents apart—were our way of defying the challenges of a long-distance relationship.

Back then, coordinating our time zones was tricky. Leah was in the UK while I was on the US East Coast, but we managed. I stayed up late for her post-work chats, and she called before her university classes. We carved out precious Skype moments, even before the days of Netflix watch parties or easy synchronized streaming. Webcam aimed at the TV, we shared films, and sometimes, I even threw in a puppet show featuring my favorite characters like those from The Prince of Egypt and Pokémon.

Skype was simply the best choice for us. It was free, versatile, and accessible across all our devices, regardless of the operating systems we used.

Skype made some unforgettable memories, like when I met Leah’s family for the first time—virtually, of course. I also vividly recall the thrill of using a Kinect camera with Skype on the Xbox One, enabling group chats with a room full of people, something not easily accomplished on smartphones of that era.

Over time, though, we’ve transitioned to platforms like WhatsApp, and during the pandemic, Zoom became our go-to. It’s ironic how we chose Zoom, partly because they made joining calls as simple as clicking a link—a feature Skype was slow to adopt.

So, what happened to Skype? In 2013, Microsoft acquired it for over $8.5 billion, marking its largest acquisition at the time. Skype was immensely popular then, but as events evolved, Microsoft shifted its focus.

Skype, which once boasted over 330 million users, couldn’t keep up as communication technology exploded. Microsoft didn’t modernize it quickly enough, and competitors like Zoom filled the gaps Skype left behind. The app wasn’t user-friendly on mobile devices, and Teams soon took center stage.

It’s a case study in missed opportunities. Microsoft moved forward with Teams, a platform with hundreds of millions of users and, crucially, a path to monetization—a strategic choice for the company, even if it meant letting go of the once-beloved Skype. The competition between Teams and Slack is fierce, far exceeding any rivalry that might have existed with Skype for Business.

In closing, while Skype may soon be part of history, its role in many personal stories, like mine, ensures it won’t be forgotten.