No, Skype is not available anymore. Microsoft shut it down on May 5, 2025, which is now a little over a year ago. The app no longer works, you cannot sign in, and as of June 15, 2026 you can no longer download your old chat history either. That last door closed a few weeks ago.

If you just tried to open Skype and ended up here, this article covers what happened, what (very little) still works, and what people have actually moved to since.

The short timeline

Date	What happened
February 28, 2025	Microsoft announced Skype would retire
May 5, 2025	Skype shut down. The app and sign-in stopped working
April 1, 2026	Microsoft began deleting data from inactive accounts
June 15, 2026	The data export portal closed. Chat history and files can no longer be recovered

Skype ran for almost 22 years. Microsoft's stated reason for closing it was to focus on Microsoft Teams, which is where it pointed Skype users during the migration.

What still works in 2026

Almost nothing, but there are two small exceptions:

The Skype Dial Pad, for remaining paid subscribers only. If you had an active Skype subscription when the shutdown happened, you can still use the Dial Pad from the Skype web portal or inside Teams Free until your subscription runs out. No new credit or subscriptions can be bought.
Your contacts and chats inside Teams Free, if you migrated. People who signed in to Teams Free with their Skype account before the deadlines had their contacts and chat history carried over.

Everything else is gone. If you did not export your data before June 15, 2026, there is no longer a way to get it back.

Is Skype coming back?

No. Microsoft has been clear that the retirement is permanent, and there has been no sign of a revival in the year since. The Skype brand is done, and Microsoft's consumer communication product is Teams Free.

What people use instead of Skype now

More than a year on, the replacements have settled into a clear pattern. Which one fits you depends on what you actually used Skype for, because no single app took over everything Skype did.

If you used Skype to chat and video call other Skype users

This is the easy part, because free apps cover it well:

WhatsApp is the default in most of the world. Free voice and video calls to anyone who has the app.
Microsoft Teams Free is the official successor, and the only one that could import your Skype contacts.
FaceTime if everyone you talk to uses Apple devices.
Zoom or Google Meet for scheduled video meetings with links, screen sharing, and larger groups.

All of these share one limit: they only reach people who use the same app. None of them can dial a phone number.

If you used Skype Credit to call real phone numbers

This is the part of Skype that free apps never replaced. Skype's dial pad let you call any landline or mobile in the world for a few cents a minute, and that is exactly the piece Microsoft retired without a direct consumer replacement. Teams calling plans are aimed at businesses, not at someone calling a parent's landline abroad or a foreign bank.

The closest match today is browser-based calling, which works the way Skype's dial pad did: you open a page, type the number, see the price, and call.

BoraPhone is built for exactly this. It runs in the browser with no app to install, covers 180+ countries, and charges per minute with rates from $0.02/min shown on screen before the call connects. Signup takes an email, there is no subscription, and the first call is free, so you can test call quality before paying anything.

Other options exist for this use case too. We compared the whole category in browser-based calling services, and if you want the full feature-by-feature rundown of every major Skype replacement, see our 8 best Skype alternatives for international calls.

Quick match: what you used Skype for and what replaces it

What you used Skype for	Closest replacement in 2026
Free calls to other Skype users	WhatsApp, Teams Free, FaceTime
Video meetings	Zoom, Google Meet, Teams Free
Calling landlines and mobiles (Skype Credit)	BoraPhone or another pay-per-minute service
A local number people could call you on	A virtual number from a VoIP provider
Business phone system	Teams with a calling plan, RingCentral

What Skype Credit users should check before picking a replacement

Skype's pay-as-you-go model was one of its best features, and not every replacement copies it honestly. Three things worth checking before you commit to any service:

Per-minute rates versus subscriptions. If you call occasionally, pay-as-you-go is almost always cheaper than a monthly plan. Our VoIP rate comparison shows how to read a rate table without being misled.
The mobile rate, not just the landline rate. Many providers advertise the landline price, and most calls go to mobiles, which often cost more.
Connection fees and hidden charges. Some apps add a connect fee per call or quietly raise rates. We documented the common tricks in the real cost of cheap calling apps.

You can check the current rate to any country on the BoraPhone rate calculator before deciding anything.

FAQ

Is Skype still available in 2026?

No. Skype shut down on May 5, 2025, and has been offline for over a year. The app does not work, accounts cannot sign in, and Microsoft closed the data export portal on June 15, 2026.

When exactly did Skype shut down?

May 5, 2025. Microsoft announced the retirement on February 28, 2025, and gave users about two months' notice.

Can I still recover my Skype chat history or contacts?

Not anymore. The export portal stayed open until June 15, 2026, and Microsoft began deleting inactive account data on April 1, 2026. The one exception: if you signed in to Microsoft Teams Free with your Skype account before the shutdown deadlines, your contacts and chats were carried over there.

What happened to my Skype Credit?

New purchases of Skype Credit and subscriptions ended when the service closed. Users with remaining paid subscriptions kept access to the Skype Dial Pad through the Skype web portal and Teams Free for the remainder of their billing period. If you think you are owed a refund, Microsoft handled those through the account page at support.microsoft.com.

What is the best replacement for calling real phone numbers?

For calling landlines and mobiles the way Skype Credit did, a browser-based pay-per-minute service is the closest match. BoraPhone covers 180+ countries from $0.02/min with the rate shown before you dial. WhatsApp and Teams Free cannot call regular phone numbers, so they only solve the app-to-app half of what Skype did.

Is Microsoft Teams Free a full Skype replacement?

For chat and video calls with other people on Teams, yes. For calling phone numbers, no. Phone calling in Teams is sold through business calling plans, and the consumer Dial Pad only remains available to people who still had a paid Skype subscription at shutdown.

Still need to call landlines and mobiles abroad like you did with Skype Credit? Try BoraPhone : 180+ countries from your browser, the rate shown before you dial, first call free.

Is Skype Still Available? No. Here Is What Happened (2026)