Tip: Secure Skype chats and reactivate credit

Skype was switched off. Can I somehow archive my chats?

As an alternative to Skype, Microsoft wants to go to Teams Free Pilots and offers you access to communication with other classic Skype contacts

For example, business, school or private conversations are not included. Log in with Skype login in teams, you can continue your chats there. This not only works in the app, but also in the browser on Teams.Live.com.

If you allow the synchronization, you can browse in teams shortly afterwards. However, we only found chats from 2017.

There is also an export option of the chats and files for which you do not have to switch to teams. You can find them on the website secure.skype.com/de/data-export.

You still have a few months, in January 2026 the provider wants to delete the data.

Log in on the above page. In “conversations” and “files”, set a catch and then click on “Submit request”. It usually takes a few minutes before the file is available. Your contacts load you via the button below.

If you are already on the Skype page, take a look at the account at the top of your name. It shows you whether you still have credit. If you were not logged in for more than 180 days, you have to activate it again with a button click-Microsoft promises to do it within 15 minutes.

The downloaded communication is located in a JSON file. You can open them with text edit, but read it is not fun. Better use the Skype-Parser Back: Open the index file in the browser in the downloaded folder.

At “Select File” “Messages.json” add the download and click on “Load”. The window now shows the contacts on the left, on the right the respective communication. Not beautiful, but at least readable.