By Nik Rawlinson

What you need: Skype account; Microsoft Teams Time required: One hour

A fter 22 years, Skype is shutting up shop. Microsoft has called time on the internet phone service, which has seen competitors like Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft’s own Teams steal much of its market share since they really came to prominence during the Covid lockdowns.

Skype was many users’ first experience of internet telephony, but the system went beyond merely enabling calls. It also offered text-based group chats, let you send and receive cash, and was a handy, commitment-free option for anyone who wanted a second phone number without the cost of having a second line run into your home.

Skype’s final day of operation is 5 May– after which Microsoft recommends users switch to its free version of Teams. This is built into recent versions of Windows, but if it’s not already on your machine, download it from the Microsoft Store at www.snipca.com/54336.

However, while Teams replicates many of Skype’s core features – like text chat and voice calls – not everything will be available. If you use Skype’s incoming number service, you can no longer top up your balance. Instead, Microsoft will keep your number live until your current subscription runs out. After that, you’ll only be able to make calls to other Teams users.

If you want to keep hold of your incoming number, you can transfer it by contacting a new provider to process the move. Microsoft briefly explains how to do this at www.snipca.com/54337.

Teams does give some users the option of renting a standard phone number and using it for receiving and making calls (www.snipca.com/54339). However, this is only available on Teams business subscriptions, and not the free version to which Skype users will be transferred, or the paid home-user editions available as part of Microsoft 365.