Farewell to a WhatsApp Pioneer: The End Was Inevitable
If you have a cell phone, you probably have WhatsApp. This may not be true in 100% of cases, but it’s close. Nowadays, most people can’t imagine life without messaging apps on their smartphones. Whether it’s sending pictures, making video calls, or simply chatting with friends, communication has never been easier, faster, or cheaper.
WhatsApp dominates the messaging landscape in many parts of the world. While alternatives like Signal and Telegram exist, none have managed to surpass WhatsApp’s popularity—at least not in this country.
And now, another shutdown is coming. The end of a pioneer that paved the way for WhatsApp but ultimately missed its chance to become number one.
WhatsApp’s Dominance: Another Messenger Shuts Down
If you're honest, you only need one messenger on your cell phone. And then you use the one where you have the most friends, acquaintances, and family members. That's usually WhatsApp. But long before WhatsApp existed, there were other messengers. ICQ, for example. Or Skype. While ICQ pulled the plug in the middle of last year and failed to end WhatsApp's dominance, Microsoft is now also pulling the ripcord. Skype will be shut down in May 2025.
The end had been in the offing for some time. But every time many thought: Now it's time, Microsoft released an update for Skype. Now, however, the US company has finally decided to shut down Skype. "From May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams," says the website, as XDA Developers found out.
No One Needs a Bad Messenger
Skype came onto the market in 2003 and was acquired by Microsoft in 2011. Initially, it was the messenger par excellence, especially on computers and laptops. Millions of users made video calls here. Later, Skype was also available as an app for smartphones. But WhatsApp had long been established by then.
While Microsoft continued to focus on desktop PCs, it left the mobile field to WhatsApp and other services. However, as fewer and fewer people now use computers and laptops privately and almost everything is done on smartphones, it is not surprising that Skype has not been able to establish itself.
In addition, many users who use Skype on their cell phone are annoyed by the app, as reviews in the Play Store show.
