Skype to retire recent editions for Windows, Mac; upgrades mandatory

Skype has announced plans to retire older versions of its desktop internet calling application, including those introduced earlier in the year on Windows and OS X.

Users are required to update to a newer Skype version before the older ones become outdated and then unusable.

“Over the next few months, we plan to retire older versions of Skype for Windows desktop (6.13 and below) and Skype for Mac (6.14 and below),” as stated in a Skype blog post.

With Microsoft’s 2011 acquisition of Skype for $8.5 billion, Skype grew to become a significant component of Microsoft’s software line-up.

In January 2014, Skype for Windows 6.13 was introduced, and shortly afterward, in February, Skype for OS 6.14 was launched. These versions, along with all previous ones, are those targeted for retirement.

The latest Skype versions available are 6.16 for Windows and 6.18 for Mac OS X.

Although “retirement” wasn’t clarified in the post, Microsoft elaborated that when a version is retired, users won’t be able to access it unless they have updated to the latest Skype version. This information was shared by a Microsoft rep in response to inquiries.

Although Skype didn’t elaborate as to why it’s retiring these older versions, the move is consistent with Microsoft’s strategy of late. For instance, Microsoft pushed users of its Windows 8.1 – the upgrade launched in October the previous year – to switch to Windows 8.1 Update by June 10 otherwise, they ‘d be barred from receiving patches.

The same update requirement was also applied to Internet Explorer 11 (IE 11) users on Windows 7; Users had until June 10 to install an April-released update.

In both of these situations, Microsoft conveyed its intent to create a “new servicing baseline” through mandatory update requirements.

source: Computerworld

This article was updated in 2025 to reflect current trends and insights.