Skype to be shutdown in May

[Galong]

On 4/13/2025 at 10:16 PM, Briggsy said:

I was on monthly subscription with Skype. The subscription due on 8 April was not taken. The service did not work today and did not allow me to add credit. So, sadly that is the end for me as I cannot call UK landlines from Teams.

 

I have a list of around 8 services from threads on here and will see what fits my requirements.

Yes, this truly sucks.  Skype did it all.  I've decided on Tello. I'm getting a US SIM card and T mobile number sent to my brother (should be there today) and he'll express it to me here. It should work in my unlocked Thai Samsung phone.  I'm doing this for OTPs mainly, but it can be used for 800 numbers as well. I sure hope this works... what a time-consuming hassle this has been. 🤦

[Briggsy]

2 minutes ago, Galong said:

Yes, this truly sucks.  Skype did it all.  I've decided on Tello. I'm getting a US SIM card and T mobile number sent to my brother (should be there today) and he'll express it to me here. It should work in my unlocked Thai Samsung phone.  I'm doing this for OTPs mainly, but it can be used for 800 numbers as well. I sure hope this works... what a time-consuming hassle this has been. 🤦

I only use Skype for phoning the UK. I am going with Webcall Direct. If it doesn't work, I have only lost less than 1000 Baht and then I will try somebody else.

[SMIAI]

WebCall Direct seems to be an old version of MobileVOIP. 

[VBF]

On 4/2/2025 at 7:56 AM, Galong said:

<snip>
Alternatively, has anyone used AIS and the 003 prefix to call the US (or another country)?  It says 3 baht per minute. I can live with that. 

Yes - I've called UK using that method several times - no drama.

[funlovinkid]

After having had my Skype number for more than 15 years, I opted to port the number to Vyke, and so far, I'm experiencing no real problems.  I simply downloaded the Vyke app from the Play Store, and sort of followed the bread crumbs.  Apparently Vyke can only port USA-based Skype numbers (which applied to me, fortunately).  The process of porting the Skype number must be initiated by Vyke through my request to them - not the other way around.

 

Because my phone SIM uses a Thai phone number, the Play Store denominates any of my financial transactions in Thai Baht.  So, when I decided to pay the annual $19.99 fee for the continued use of the old Skype number, I did this using the Vyke app, and discovered that this translated into an 800THB charge.  Vyke uses its own formula for foreign exchange transactions, which I learned are nowhere near market rates.  And payments for topping-up the account can be made either on the app, or via the Vyke website.  I learned that it's preferable to use their website for this purpose, because the transactions are charged in USD - which is good for me, because I can make these payments using a USD credit card.  Not sure if any of this is useful to others (who might have different circumstances), but I figured I'd share it anyway.  Based on my brief check of the Vyke foreign exchange formula ($8.49 becomes 475THB using the app), I'll stick with the website for topping-up my account.

 

Once I had topped-up the account via their website, and the transaction was accepted by my credit card company, I very quickly noticed the updated account balance on my app.  So I called a buddy in the US for a long-overdue conversation, and to test the functionality - which seemed fine, although I did notice a slight delay.  Afterward, the balance on my Vyke app was reduced accordingly.  The Vyke rates for calls to the US are 1.2c/minute, less than Skype was charging.  And most importantly, now I can receive phone calls (and now, international text messages as well, which are supported by Vyke) from my US-based financial institutions.

[KhunHeineken]

No need to start a new thread. 

 

Viber is the new Skype. 

 

https://www.viber.com/en/

 

[Galong]

On 4/22/2025 at 2:00 PM, KhunHeineken said:

No need to start a new thread. 

 

Viber is the new Skype. 

 

https://www.viber.com/en/

 

Viber doesn't even seem close to a replacement for Skype for the things that matter to me, which are a US Skype number, OTPs, and calling toll-free US numbers 

[KhunHeineken]

34 minutes ago, Galong said:

Viber doesn't even seem close to a replacement for Skype for the things that matter to me, which are a US Skype number, OTPs, and calling toll-free US numbers 

Once again, I am posting in general, and not to your specific requirements. 

 

Some may need a mixture of different products.  Eg.  Viber for free voice and video, and  another product for a local country number.  Some are happy with credit / minutes, while some need an unlimited subscription because they either make many calls, or talk a long time, or both. 

 

Each to there own. 

 

Can you put forward a product that is closer to Skype than Viber, as a one stop shop, the way Skype is? 

 

Yes, Viber is missing a local number feature.  I believe they used to offer it but stopped offering it.  They may offer it again with the shutting down of Skype.  

[SMIAI]

Khun Heineken...why does one need a 'one stop shop'? No one is interested in App to App calling. You can get that for free from any number of applications. They, in the main, are interested in Application to Landline and Mobile calls and a number in order to receive calls and OTP.

 

Viber Out is useful for calling out and that's it. It's certainly not the cheapest, as US$0.02 per minute to the USA and U.K.  That's up to four times more expensive than some of the alternatives.

So I don't understand why you keep pushing it on Skype threads. 

 

[KhunHeineken]

1 hour ago, SMIAI said:

Khun Heineken...why does one need a 'one stop shop'?

They don't.  I never said they did. 

 

What I did say is Viber is the closest product I could find to Skype, which is a "one stop shop" for the needs of many. 

 

I also said in a subsequent post many may need a combination of different products to achieve what they did with Skype. 

 

1 hour ago, SMIAI said:

No one is interested in App to App calling.

Really? 

 

Are you posting on behalf of "everyone" now? 

 

I use app to app calling all the time.  I like to see my friends and family on a video call sometimes. 

 

1 hour ago, SMIAI said:

You can get that for free from any number of applications.

You just said no one was interested in it.

 

1 hour ago, SMIAI said:

They, in the main, are interested in Application to Landline and Mobile calls and a number in order to receive calls and OTP.

I would suggest, "they" are interested in ALL features Skype offered.  Isn't that what all these threads are about?

 

Also, many expats have maintained a sim card from their own country, so don't need Skype, or a Skype alternative for an OTP. 

 

1 hour ago, SMIAI said:

Viber Out is useful for calling out and that's it. It's certainly not the cheapest, as US$0.02 per minute to the USA and U.K. 

Viber Out to the USA is $1.99USD per month for unlimited calls / minutes.  That's $23.88USD, or 801THB a year.  Do you call that expensive?  Really? 

 

1 hour ago, SMIAI said:

So I don't understand why you keep pushing it on Skype threads. 

I'm not pushing it. 

 

I'm simply saying it's the closest product to Skype I can find, that's "all in one" like Skype is.

 

Can you name a product that is closer to Skype than Viber? 

 

[SMIAI]

Khun Heineken....you have posted the same thing on every Skype thread. Can you point to even one of those threads requesting App to App calling?

No one needs that since they already have WhatsApp, LINE, Signal, Telegram....

 

They need to call mobiles and landlines, receive calls and OTP.

 

VIber does not fit the bill, as pointed out to you on many occasions. It's merely an option for calling out and not the cheapest at that. 

Yes, US$1.99 for unlimited calls TO the U.S.A. is relatively good value if you are going to use it.

Not everyone calls to the U.S.A. Certainly not you. 

 

You've cross-posted it on every Skype thread. That's pushing it.

[topt]

2 hours ago, SMIAI said:

You've cross-posted it on every Skype thread. That's pushing it.

Agreed but unfortunately it is his "style"........

Pretty much all the options, including Viber, have been suggested in most of the threads long before he resumed posting after the Songkran break.

People just need to go through them to work out which works for them and their specific requirements.