# Skype Application: Microsoft Corporation Also called skype desktop, skype consumer Microsoft Corporation, Productivity Consumer Microsoft chat and calls. Microsoft retired consumer Skype in May 2025 and points people at Teams Free. ## What you need to know Consumer Skype is retired. It is not Teams and not Skype for Business. Microsoft ended consumer Skype on May 5, 2025. Teams Free is the replacement they document. Skype for Business uses lync.exe and is a work product. - **What is it?**: Chat and calls **Still current?**: Retired or replaced **Official download?**: Use the vendor link in this article Feex says If Skype.exe is still on disk, I would open Microsoft's retirement article, not hunt for a crack. Consumer Skype is done. Teams Free is the path they name. lync.exe is the other product. ## What is Skype? Consumer Skype was Microsoft's consumer chat and call app. The Windows process was Skype.exe. Microsoft now steers leftover users to Teams Free. ## If you have never used it If a relative still says Skype me, consumer Skype retired on May 5, 2025. Microsoft points people at Microsoft Teams Free and signing in with old Skype credentials. This is not Microsoft Teams at work and not Skype for Business (lync.exe). Do not download a Skype setup from a filename site. ## What is it used for? **Historic consumer calls** That job is over. Microsoft documents Teams Free as the replacement path. **Export leftover Skype data** Microsoft published an export window after retirement. Deadlines move. Use the support article, not a third-party scraper. **Not work meetings** Work tenants use Teams. Skype for Business is the other retired work client. ## Who is it for? - People who still have a Skype.exe shortcut from before May 2025 - Users looking for old Skype chat history - Anyone who confused consumer Skype with Teams or Skype for Business ## Current status Consumer Skype retired May 5, 2025. Microsoft points leftover users at Teams Free. ## How old is it? Skype launched in 2003 and Microsoft bought it in 2011. Consumer Skype shut down in May 2025. Skype for Business was a different Lync-based work client. A 2010 Skype-to-Skype guide is history. ## Versions Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here. Consumer Skype (retired) Teams Free (replacement path) ## System requirements Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need. ### Minimum | Operating system | A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor | | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | | RAM | Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more. | ## Resource profile - **CPU demand**: Follows what you open inside the app **RAM demand**: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries ## Installed processes These executables belong to this product when it is installed. | Skype.exe | Main Windows executable | | --------- | ----------------------- | ## Startup components Remove Skype from Startup. It cannot do useful consumer work after retirement. ## File locations | Typical install | C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Skype for Desktop\\ | | --------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | ## File formats SKYPE export packages ## Common problems ### Old Skype.exe will not sign in The consumer service is retired. That is not a NIC failure. ### People install Skype for Business to get Grandma back lync.exe is a work client. It will not restore consumer Skype. ## Getting unstuck ### Read the May 2025 retirement article support.microsoft.com documents Teams Free sign-in with Skype credentials and data export. ### Do not install a Skype 8 setup from a download mill Those files are junk now. Microsoft is not shipping a new consumer Skype. ### Confirm you do not need Skype for Business A work tenant that still names lync.exe is a different article. ## Alternatives Microsoft Teams Free for leftover consumer contacts. WhatsApp, Signal, or FaceTime-class apps if the group already moved. Skype for Business is not a consumer replacement. ## Official help and downloads Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel. | Download | [www.skype.com/get-skype/ ](https://www.skype.com/get-skype/)Official installer or vendor page | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Help | [support.skype.com/ ](https://support.skype.com/)Vendor support | | Official site | [support.microsoft.com/skype/skype-is-retiring-in-may-2025-what-you-need-to-know ](https://support.microsoft.com/skype/skype-is-retiring-in-may-2025-what-you-need-to-know)Start here, not a random exe host | ## Related hardware A leftover Skype.exe on disk does not need a GPU upgrade. The service is gone. ## Technical details Technical details Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build. ## Related These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link. [Skype for Business: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/skype-for-business)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager) ## Sources and verification Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Legacy Information. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research). - [Skype official site ](https://support.microsoft.com/skype/skype-is-retiring-in-may-2025-what-you-need-to-know)· Vendor product page - [Skype help ](https://support.skype.com/)· Vendor support - [Microsoft 365 Blog: Skype to Teams ](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/02/28/the-next-chapter-moving-from-skype-to-microsoft-teams/)· Retirement announcement - [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark. ## Was this article useful? A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note. Quick facts The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article. - **Developer**: Microsoft Corporation **Category**: Chat and calls **Process**: Skype.exe **License**: Retired consumer product **First released**: 2003 **Official site**: [Microsoft: Skype retirement](https://support.microsoft.com/skype/skype-is-retiring-in-may-2025-what-you-need-to-know) **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole Legacy Information: Last verified August 2026 --- Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/skype/) [Developer guide](https://feex.it/wiki/developers/) | [API policy](https://feex.it/developers/api-policy/) | [Agent guidance](https://feex.it/wiki/llms.txt)