Oh God. Another one bites the dust. That messaging app we all used before Zoom took over is shutting down TOMORROW, and if you don't save your chat history, you can kiss those awkward video call screenshots goodbye forever.

They actually announced this back in February, but who pays attention to those corporate emails anyway? Now we're down to the wire with major changes hitting on Monday (May 5). Typical tech company giving us barely any notice.

I still remember my first Skype interview in 2009. Sitting there with my hair done nice on top but wearing pajama bottoms. Good times.

From 300 Million Users to Digital Ghost Town

Skype launched way back in 2003 when we were all still figuring out how to use flip phones. At its absolute peak, this thing had over 300 million monthly active users. That's basically the population of the United States!

But then came the fall. By 2020, they'd hemorrhaged users down to a measly 23 million. I watched it happen in real time - first my friends disappeared, then my colleagues, until it was just me and my grandma who refused to learn any new tech after 2010.

Microsoft's Cold-Blooded Execution

Microsoft bought Skype in 2011 for a ridiculous amount of money ($8.5 billion if I remember correctly), and then... proceeded to slowly strangle it while building up Microsoft Teams.

Classic corporate move. Buy the competition, gut it, force everyone onto your preferred platform.

They're telling users they can move to Microsoft Teams Free which supposedly has "many of teh same core features." Sure, Jan.

Wait, What Happens to My Embarrassing Drunk Calls from College?

Here's the deal - you've got two options:

You can sign into Microsoft Teams Free with your Skype login, and they'll transfer your contacts and chat history automatically. Or you can download your data yourself if you don't trust them (I don't).

But listen. If you do nothing, Microsoft says they'll delete everything in January 2026. That seems far away now, but we all know how time works. You'll forget, and then one day you'll want to find that important conversation from 2017, and... poof. Gone.

The Internet's Surprisingly Emotional Farewell

People are actually getting weirdly sentimental about this. One Reddit user wrote: "Skype you ran multiple businesses, dished me breakups, kept me in touch with thousands of poeple. You will be missed."

I feel that. My editor and I used Skype for 6 years straight. He once fired someone over Skype. Poor guy had his termination immortalized in chat history... until tomorrow, I guess.

Others are less nostalgic, basically saying "good riddance" and "about time." Harsh, but fair. The app did get clunky as hell toward the end.

A Tiny Skype Remnant Survives (For Now)

Skype for Business will stick around a bit longer. Though let's be real - Microsoft is definitely plotting to shove those users over to Teams eventually too.

I've spent the morning downloading my chat history. Found conversations from 2014 that made me cringe so hard I nearly pulled a muscle. Maybe some things should be lost to digital history...

Anyway, save your stuff now or regret it later. You've been warned.