Skype on Ubuntu Is Retired: What to Use Now

There is an awkward kind of technical article that becomes dangerous precisely because its old commands still run. The Skype .deb can remain on a machine and an old repository can remain configured, but Microsoft retired the service on May 5, 2025. Installing that package today creates the appearance of progress without restoring a supported Skype client.

The answer changed after May 5, 2025

• Microsoft retired the consumer Skype service on May 5, 2025.

• Former users can sign in to Teams Free with their Skype credentials and use migrated contacts and chats where Microsoft makes them available.

• Users who do not want Teams can request an export of Skype data through Microsoft’s retirement workflow.

• Remaining paid calling and Skype Number scenarios have special transition rules; check Microsoft’s current retirement FAQ rather than an old Linux package tutorial.

• Skype for Business is a different product and was not covered by the consumer Skype retirement announcement.

Ubuntu 18.04 and 20.04 also need a support decision

Ubuntu 18.04 ended standard support in May 2023, and Ubuntu 20.04 ended standard support in May 2025. Ubuntu Pro can provide expanded security maintenance for eligible systems, but a desktop that is practical to upgrade should move through Canonical’s supported upgrade path to a maintained release rather than staying old for one retired application.

$ lsb_release -ds 2>/dev/null || cat /etc/os-release
pro status 2>/dev/null || true

Description:	Ubuntu 24.04.x LTS
...

Read support state separately from version

• The release identifier tells you what is installed; Canonical’s lifecycle table tells you whether standard or expanded maintenance covers it.

• pro status is informative when the Ubuntu Pro client is installed and configured.

• An old release does not become secure merely because one third-party application still launches.

• Back up and follow Canonical’s release-specific upgrade path; do not skip unsupported intermediate upgrades casually.

Use Teams on the web from a supported browser

1. Open Teams on the web in a current Microsoft Edge, Chrome, or Firefox browser on Linux.

1. Sign in with the Microsoft account previously used for Skype, or the account your organization specifies.

1. Allow microphone and camera access only for the authentic teams.microsoft.com origin.

1. Run a test call or device check before an important meeting.

1. Review notification, background-tab, screen-sharing, and third-party-cookie behavior if a feature does not work.

Install Teams as a PWA when you want an app-like window

Microsoft documents Teams on Linux as a progressive web app hosted by Edge or Chrome. Sign in to Teams on the web, use the browser’s install-app control, and confirm the installed origin is Microsoft’s Teams site. The PWA can have its own launcher and window, but it remains a web application inside the browser security model.

What a PWA does and does not change

• It provides an app-style launcher, window, and optional automatic startup.

• Updates primarily follow the web service and hosting browser instead of a Skype APT repository.

• Microphone, camera, notifications, cookies, and screen capture still depend on browser permissions and policy.

• Microsoft states that a native Teams desktop client is no longer supported on Linux; the PWA is the official Linux direction.

• Firefox can run supported Teams web experiences, while Microsoft’s documented installable PWA route uses Edge or Chrome.

Check whether the obsolete Skype package remains installed

$ dpkg-query -W -f='${binary:Package} ${Version}\n' skypeforlinux 2>/dev/null || \
+  echo 'skypeforlinux is not installed'
grep -Ril --include='*.list' --include='*.sources' 'repo.skype.com' /etc/apt/sources.list.d 2>/dev/null || true

skypeforlinux ...
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/skype-stable.list

Inventory before removing anything

• dpkg-query checks the exact Debian package name without treating absence as a fatal tutorial error.

• APT source definitions may use either legacy .list files or deb822 .sources files.

• A configured repository and an installed package are separate pieces of state.

• Do not paste secrets or unrelated repository contents into a support ticket.

Remove the retired client and repository deliberately

$ sudo apt remove skypeforlinux
# Inspect the exact file found above, then remove only that Skype source file.
sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/skype-stable.list
sudo apt update

The following packages will be REMOVED:
  skypeforlinux
...

The scope of this cleanup is intentionally narrow

• apt remove uninstalls the named application package but can retain package-managed configuration.

• Read APT’s proposed changes before confirming; package state can differ from this example.

• The rm command is destructive and is valid only if that exact inspected file is the obsolete Skype source definition.

• apt update refreshes repository metadata and confirms the removed source no longer participates.

• Do not delete the entire sources.list.d directory or unrelated signing keys.

Decide what to do with old local profile data

$ find "$HOME/.config" "$HOME/.cache" -maxdepth 2 -iname '*skype*' -print 2>/dev/null

/home/user/.config/skypeforlinux
/home/user/.cache/skypeforlinux

Finding data is safer than deleting it automatically

• Profile and cache locations vary across package versions and desktop environments.

• Local files are not a substitute for Microsoft’s server-side Skype data export.

• Review and back up anything important before deletion.

• Leaving an unused profile consumes space but does not reinstall or reactivate Skype.

• A cleanup article should never recursively delete broad home-directory paths.

Troubleshoot Teams web on Ubuntu

• Camera or microphone missing: verify the browser site permission, Ubuntu device selection, and whether another app owns the device.

• No notifications: permit notifications for Teams and prevent aggressive browser sleeping for the site.

• Screen sharing unavailable: update the browser and desktop stack, then check Wayland/PipeWire and organizational policy.

• Sign-in loop: clear only Teams/Microsoft site data, verify system time, allow required cookies, and retry without privacy extensions.

• Wrong contacts or chats: confirm that you signed in with the same Microsoft account previously used for Skype.

• Feature differs from Windows/macOS: consult Microsoft’s Teams web limitations; Linux does not have a supported native Teams desktop client.

Avoid unofficial “Skype revival” packages

A Snap, Flatpak, AppImage, third-party .deb, or compatibility wrapper cannot reverse a server-side product retirement. Unofficial packages can also lag browser security updates or collect credentials. Use Microsoft’s authenticated web service and verify the URL before signing in.

Official references

• Microsoft Skype retirement notice states the retirement date, Teams Free transition, exports, and paid-service changes.

• Microsoft Teams client overview identifies web support and the lack of a supported native Linux client.

• Microsoft Teams PWA documentation explains the Edge/Chrome-hosted web app and browser policies.

• Ubuntu release cycle records standard and expanded maintenance dates for Ubuntu releases.