If you searched for a Skype number alternative, you probably had a US Skype Number that people called you on from home while you lived or travelled somewhere else. That number is gone. This post sets out what Microsoft says happened, what Teams Free can and cannot do, and how to choose a Skype phone number replacement that matches how you actually used it.
When did Skype shut down?
Microsoft announced the move on February 28, 2025 and said new customers would no longer be able to buy paid Skype features such as Skype Credit and calling subscriptions. Its Skype retirement page now reads: “As of May 5th, 2025, Skype is retired.” Skype for Business was not affected.
You could sign in to Teams Free with your Skype account, and your chats and contacts moved across. Phone numbers did not.
What happened to Skype Numbers?
According to Microsoft’s retirement page, checked in October 2026:
| Date | What changed for Skype Numbers |
|---|---|
| April 3, 2025 | Last automatic renewals of Skype Number and calling subscriptions |
| May 5, 2025 | Skype retired. Texting (SMS), call forwarding and voicemail on Skype Numbers stopped. Incoming calls continued until the subscription ran out |
| December 31, 2025 | Scheduled end for Swedish Skype Numbers |
| May 2026 | “All Skype Number subscriptions have ended” |
Microsoft also says “Skype Number port-out requests are no longer available.” In practice, if you did not move your Skype Number to another provider before it lapsed, those digits cannot be recovered. Your replacement will be a new number.
What happened to Skype Credit?
Microsoft says remaining Skype Credit can still be used for calling through the Skype Dial Pad, which it makes available to remaining paid users on the Skype web portal and inside Teams Free. New credit can no longer be bought, and auto top-up has ended. Calling subscriptions that ran past May 1, 2026 were cancelled and converted into Skype Credit, with a refund available on request.
So leftover credit is still useful for making calls out. It does not give you a number people can call back.
Does Teams Free give you a phone number?
No. Microsoft’s own wording is: “Microsoft Teams does not support paid calling plans on the free version of Teams.” For phone numbers it points small businesses to Teams Essentials with Teams Phone, which is a paid business setup, not a personal replacement for a Skype Number.
Teams Free is fine for app-to-app calls and chat with people who also use Teams. For a US number that ordinary phones can reach, you need something else.
What are the Skype phone number replacement options?
Start with what you used the Skype Number for. Most people used it for one or more of three things: being reachable on a US number, receiving texts or codes, and calling US phones cheaply. The options below differ mainly on those three, plus who is allowed to sign up.
| Option | Who can sign up | Texts | Calls | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice (free or paid) | US users only, per Google | Send and receive | In and out | People who are in the US when they sign up |
| Paid app-based number, such as the TripoSIM number | Most countries, after an ID check | Receive only, from US and Canadian senders | In, plus 300 min/month out to US and Canada | Staying reachable on a US number from abroad, and app codes |
| Two-way business VoIP app | Varies by provider | Usually send and receive | In and out | Texting clients or customers |
| US carrier or MVNO line (SIM or eSIM) | Usually needs US address and payment | Send and receive | In and out, with 911 | Living in the US full time, texting both ways and 911 |
| Leftover Skype Credit | Existing Skype users | None | Out only | Using up your balance |
Google’s standalone Voice plans page says they support “individual users in the US”, and its numbers are US-only. If you are already abroad, our guide to Google Voice outside the US explains why that is usually a dead end. Free and temporary numbers are another option people try, with real downsides for any account you need to keep; see free vs paid US numbers.
Where does the TripoSIM number fit?
The TripoSIM US Virtual Number is closest to how most people used a Skype Number from abroad: a US number in an app, on your phone, over Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Where it fits:
- You want family, clients or US offices to reach you on a US number while you live elsewhere. Calls ring in the app on iPhone or Android.
- You want to call US and Canadian phones. Plans include 300 outgoing minutes a month to the US and Canada, and you can add 100 minutes for $5.
- You want to receive texts from US and Canadian senders and verification codes (OTP SMS) from apps, including WhatsApp. TripoSIM tested 22 apps from October 3 to 18, 2026.
- You want voicemail. Messages up to 2 minutes are kept for 30 days.
- You want to choose the area code. You pick a number by state or area code after payment and a short ID check.
Where it does not fit:
- Sending texts. Sending and replying to texts is not included. If you texted from Skype, a two-way service suits you better.
- No 911. Emergency calling is not included. Keep a local mobile line for emergencies.
- Keeping your old Skype digits. No provider can do that now that Microsoft has stopped port-outs.
- Calling outside the US and Canada. Outgoing minutes cover US and Canadian numbers only.
You can see the trade-offs side by side on compare number types, or read how the US phone number from abroad options stack up by country.
What should you do now?
- Use up Skype Credit through the Skype Dial Pad if you still have a balance and need to call phones.
- List where your old Skype Number was used: bank and app logins, business cards, email signatures, family contacts.
- Choose a replacement by the table above. If you need to send texts or call 911, choose a two-way service or a carrier line.
- Move important logins to an authenticator app where the service allows it, so a number change does not lock you out.
- Tell people your new number and update each account one by one.
Bottom line
Skype is gone, Skype Numbers have ended and Teams Free will not give you a phone number. If you mainly need to stay reachable on a US number from abroad, take calls and receive codes, the TripoSIM number is a close match; see the plans. If texting back or emergency calling matters, pick a two-way provider or a carrier line instead.