What happens to old Skype accounts after the May 2025 shutdown?

Microsoft converted Skype accounts to Microsoft accounts that work with Teams Free. The username and password still log in, but the Skype app itself stopped working on May 5, 2025. Contacts and chat history were available to sync into Teams Free automatically until January 2026. Skype phone numbers were deactivated. Auto-renewal on Skype Credit stopped April 3, 2025, with remaining balance accessible through the Teams web dial pad. After the export window closed, contact lists and message archives are gone unless they were transferred to Teams or downloaded as CSV.

Can I still use Skype in 2026 in any form?

No, the Skype app and Skype Credit purchasing stopped on May 5, 2025. The only remaining functionality is using leftover Skype Credit through the Microsoft Teams web dial pad, accessible after logging into Teams with your former Skype credentials. New Skype Credit cannot be purchased. Skype phone numbers are gone. The Skype brand has been retired by Microsoft after 22 years and roughly $8.5 billion in their hands. Microsoft Teams Free is positioned as the replacement, though it lacks pay-per-minute international calling without a paid Teams Phone subscription.

How do I get a refund for unused Skype Credit?

Contact Microsoft Support directly through support.microsoft.com and reference your former Skype account. Microsoft does not issue automatic refunds for unused Skype Credit but will consider case-by-case refunds or vouchers for other Microsoft services. Have your account email, approximate credit balance, and proof of purchase ready. The process is opt-in and not heavily publicized. Alternatively, you can still spend the remaining balance through the Teams web dial pad, which keeps PSTN calling alive at the original Skype rates until the balance hits zero. Refund response times typically run 5 to 15 business days.

Will Microsoft Teams Free replace Skype for international calls?

Not for paid PSTN calling. Teams Free includes video meetings, chat, and file sharing, all the social parts of Skype. It does not include pay-per-minute calling to landlines and mobiles unless you upgrade to Teams Phone, which requires Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $6 per user per month plus a Teams Phone Standard license at $8 per user per month. That is $14 monthly minimum before per-minute charges to international destinations. For occasional international landline calls, a per-minute service without subscription works out cheaper. Teams shines for business video meetings, not for calling US institutions from abroad.

How long do contacts and chat history stay accessible after switching to Teams?

Skype contacts and chat history that synced to Teams Free remain in your Teams account indefinitely as long as the account stays active. Microsoft accounts go inactive after 2 years of no sign-in activity, at which point the entire account, including Teams data, can be deleted. To preserve access, sign in to your Microsoft account at least once every 2 years. If you missed the original January 2026 export window from go.skype.com/export and did not sync to Teams, the data is gone. There is no archive recovery process.

Skype Replacement: Complete Migration Guide for International Callers

Skype shut down on May 5, 2025. If you used Skype Credit to call US landlines from abroad, you need a replacement -- and a plan for your leftover data and credit. Here's how to save your contacts, spend what Microsoft owes you, and pick a skype replacement that fits how you actually call.

What Skype Users Actually Lost

Skype's PSTN calling -- the part that let you dial real phone numbers from your laptop -- is what most international callers miss. The free video calls? WhatsApp and FaceTime handle that. But calling a US landline from Berlin or Tokyo? That's the gap.

Here's what's gone:

The Skype app. Desktop, mobile, all versions -- dead.
Skype Credit. Auto-renewal stopped April 3, Remaining balance is in limbo.
Skype phone numbers. If you had one, it's gone.
Call history and contacts. Were available for export until January 2026, but that window may have closed.

Microsoft's answer? Teams. But Teams Free doesn't include the same pay-per-minute PSTN calling that made Skype useful for international callers. It's a video meeting app wearing Skype's skin.

Save Your Data

Export your Skype data at go.skype.com/export before it disappears for good.

Sign in at go.skype.com/export
Select what you want: messages, pictures, videos, recordings
Download your contacts as a CSV file
Optionally, sign into Teams Free with your Skype credentials -- contacts and chats auto-sync in under a minute

If you've already missed the export window, your contacts are gone unless you moved them to Teams. That ship has sailed.

Handle Your Leftover Credit

Remaining Skype Credit can still be used through the Teams web dial pad -- if you can find it. Microsoft buried the option, and they're not automatically refunding anyone.

If you want your money back:

Contact Microsoft Support directly. They may issue a refund or a voucher for other Microsoft services.
Use the credit. Access the Skype web portal dial pad within Teams to make calls with your remaining balance.
Don't expect it to be easy. Microsoft killed the service and made refunds opt-in. Classic.

Choosing Your Skype Replacement

Your best replacement depends on one thing: how often you actually call.

App-to-app calling (WhatsApp, FaceTime, Zoom) Free, but both sides need the app and an internet connection. Great for calling people. Useless for calling the IRS.

(Google Voice is free for US calls but requires a US phone number to set up -- not an option if you're living abroad.)

VoIP subscriptions (Vonage, MagicJack, Teams Phone) $10-30/month with unlimited or bundled minutes. Good if you're making calls daily. Overkill if you call the US three times a year.

Pay-per-minute apps (Viber Out, Yolla, BOSS Revolution) $0.01-0.04/minute, no subscription required. You buy credit, you make calls. The catch: you need to download an app, create an account, and manage a balance that may expire.

Browser-based calling (World Dialer) $0.04/minute to US landlines. No app download. No subscription required. Open your browser, enter the number, make the call. Built for the person who needs to call a US landline from abroad a few times a year and doesn't want another app or another subscription.

Quick Comparison

Method	Cost	App Required?
App-to-app (WhatsApp)	Free	Yes (both sides)
VoIP subscription	$10-30/mo	Yes
Pay-per-minute app	$0.01-0.04/min	Yes
Browser calling (World Dialer)	$0.04/min	No

Your Migration Checklist

The whole migration, one checklist:

Export Skype data (contacts, messages, media) from go.skype.com/export
Download contacts CSV for safekeeping
Sign into Teams Free if you want auto-transfer of chats
Use remaining Skype Credit through Teams web dial pad, or request a refund
Choose your replacement based on calling pattern:

- Calling friends with smartphones? Use WhatsApp or FaceTime (free) - Calling US numbers daily? Get a VoIP subscription - Calling US landlines occasionally from abroad? Try a pay-per-minute or browser-based option

Test your new setup with a short call before you need it urgently

Skip the Subscription

If Skype was your way to call 1-800 numbers from overseas or reach US businesses without paying your carrier $2/minute, you don't need another monthly subscription to replace it.

World Dialer does one thing: calls to US landlines from your browser. $0.04/minute. No app. No subscription required. Pay only when you call -- no balance that expires while you're not looking.

We'll be here next time you need to make that call.

Try World Dialer