Microsoft Skype Sunset Transition
The communications app that people have loved to hate for many years is going away on May 5th. Back when Covid hit, everyone thought Skype would take off and be the “It” communications app. Instead, Microsoft focused their energies on Microsoft Teams, which had a very rocky start in the “also-ran” category on Macs, compared to their primary Microsoft Windows versions.
But Microsoft has continued to improve Teams, both on the Mac and on iPhone, and it now appears to be a functional replacement for Skype. Additionally, Microsoft has provided a way to migrate over your contacts.
The Good News
If you do not already have Microsoft Teams, you can download the installer here. Once installed, run the app and sign in for free with your Skype credentials. Once logged in, all of your previous Skype contacts will appear in the Teams sidebar under Chats. If you already have a different Teams account, the article linked below describes how to import Skype contacts in that situation.
Teams has a lot of similar functionality in its ability to share your screen and other Skype-like functions you’ve come to know and use.
The Bad News
So far, Teams does not have a search function with their chats menu, so that leaves the user with a potentially very long list of people to scroll through to find the user with whom you want to contact.
Similar to Skype, the user on the other end also has to be signed in to Teams in order for you to call them.
Microsoft wrote an article that describes how to manage this transition here.
Are there other alternatives?
Yes. You can use WhatsApp, the most commonly used communications app outside the U.S., available on every platform, including Macs and iPhones. Of course, the person you’re calling also has to have WhatsApp installed. If you need to have screen sharing ability like Skype has, Zoom does that very well.
Wait… it’s all too much!
We agree! But we are here to help. Contact Us if you would like to schedule a time to get you transitioned over before their May 5, 2025 kill date, and we can get you set up!
