Even Microsoft's lost interest in Windows Phone: Skype and Yammer apps killed

Use iOS or Android, says Redmond, as telephony APIs sprout in Windows

Microsoft’s given users of its collaboration apps on Windows Phone under a month’s warning of their demise.

A support note from late last week advises that “Windows phone apps for Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, and Yammer are retiring on May 20, 2018.”

“Retiring” means all three will vanish from the Microsoft store on May 20, with differing results.

Users of Skype for Business and Yammer should cross their fingers because Redmond’s advice stated they “may continue to work, but we can’t provide any guarantees.” One thing Microsoft will guarantee is that “These apps will no longer receive updates or support.”

Microsoft Teams users will have a harder time of it as that app “will no longer work, and users will receive an error message when they try to connect.”

Microsoft’s advice for affected users [both of them, LOL - Ed] is to go get the equivalent app for iOS, Android, Windows or macOS. Yammer users have the option of a browser-based service, too.

When even Microsoft can’t be bothered keeping Microsoft apps alive on a Microsoft platform, you know that platform is about as relevant as Sinclair BASIC.

But it appears Microsoft may have another plan: sharp-eyed Windows-watchers have spotted telephony APIs in Windows 10 build 17650. Just what they’re doing there is anyone’s guess, but Microsoft’s long been rumoured to have a “Surface Phone” up its sleeve. Or perhaps Windows 10 on Arm is about to get more interesting and/or confusing. ®