Skype has been one of the most popular communication tools for over two decades by providing users with chat, voice and video call features. Even if you use Skype for personal or professional communication, it is important to ensure that you have a backup of your conversations. This is an important process as Skype is set to be discontinued in May 2025 with Microsoft urging users to transition to Microsoft Teams.
Backing up your Skype chat history allows you to retain important messages, shared files and media for future reference. Even if you are switching to a new device, transitioning to another platform or just want to safeguard your data.
Here is a guide that will walk you through the different methods to back up and access your Skype chat history.
Why Backup Skype Conversations?
There are a few reasons why it is essential to back up your Skype chats:
- Data Security: In case you delete chats by mistake or suffer data loss due to a system failure, a backup prevents you from losing crucial conversations.
- Migration to Microsoft Teams: Since Skype is being retired, users who wish to preserve their chat history need to back up their information before migrating.
- Record Keeping: Most users are dependent on Skype for business purposes. Having a backup ensures an archive of talks, deals, and exchanged documents.
- Device Transition: If you are upgrading or changing to another computer or device, you will need to port your Skype conversation history.
Method 1: Using Skype’s Official Export Feature
Skype offers an in-built export option to enable users to download their chat history and shared documents.
Step 1: Sign In to Skype’s Export Page
- Open the web browser and access Skype’s Export page.
- Log in with your Microsoft account details.
Step 2: Choose What to Download
- Once logged in you will be presented with two options:
- Conversations: This covers all of your text messages, SMS messages (if you have any), polls, scheduled calls and shared locations.
- Files: This covers all the shared media files, like images, videos, voice mails and call recordings.
Choose whether you would like to download conversations, files or both.
Step 3: Request Data Export
- Press Submit request to initiate the export process.
- Then you will get a confirmation message saying that the request has been submitted.
Step 4: Wait for the Backup to Be Ready
- The export process may take some time, depending on the size of your Skype data.
- You will receive a notification in Skype when the backup is ready for download.
Step 5: Download the Backup
- Once your export request is completed, return to the Skype Export page.
- Click the Download button to save the file to your computer.
- The file will be downloaded in .tar format.
Also See: 10 Best Skype Alternatives
Method 2: Extracting and Viewing Your Backup Data
The.tar file you downloaded has your chat history and shared files. You will have to extract and view this information.
Extracting the .tar File
Depending on your operating system, do the following to extract the.tar file:
On Windows:
- Open the Command Prompt (Windows + R, type cmd and press Enter).
- Go to the directory where the .tar file is located using the cd command.
- Example:
- cd Downloads
- Extract the.tar file using the following command:
- tar -xvf skype_export.tar
- Once extracted, the file messages.json will be available. This file has your chat history.
On macOS:
- Just double-click the .tar file and it will expand its contents. The expanded directory will have the messages.json file
Method 3: Viewing Your Chat History
The messages.json file that is extracted is not readable in its raw state. If you want to see it in a user-friendly form, then you can view it with a JSON viewer or Skype’s message viewer tool.
Option 1: Using a JSON Viewer
- Open the messages.json file with a text editor like Notepad++, VS Code or online JSON viewer.
- These programs make the JSON data easier to read, but it will still appear confusing if you have no idea about JSON.
Option 2: Using Skype’s Built-in Parser
- Download and install Skype’s chat history viewer tool.
- Launch the tool and go to index.html within the extracted folder.
- Load the messages.json file in the tool.
- The tool will format and display your chat history in a simple-to-read format.
Method 4: Manually Backing Up Skype Data
Apart from exporting chat history, you also have the option of manually backing up Skype’s data on your machine.
Windows Users:
- Press Windows + R, then type %appdata%\Skype\ and press Enter.
- Find your Skype profile folder (named after your Skype username).
- Copy the whole folder and save it in a safe place.
Mac Users:
- Open Finder and go to ~/Library/Application Support/Skype/.
- Find your Skype profile folder.
- Copy and save the folder to an external drive or cloud storage.
This process maintains other Skype settings and call records but lacks an organized chat history as the official export tool.
Method 5: Using Third-Party Backup Tools
Others opt for third-party utilities for Skype backup and handling of conversations. Use such programs cautiously as some are incompatible with the latest version of Skype or might be security threats.
Most popular tools utilized in the past are:
- Skyperious (Skype history viewer database)
- Skype ChatSync Viewer
Be sure to download tools like this from secure sources and check that they support your Skype version.
Also See: Top Free Cloud Storage Services for Secure Backups
Transitioning to Microsoft Teams
As Skype will eventually be replaced, Microsoft Teams is the best option.
How to Switch to Microsoft Teams:
- Log in to Microsoft Teams with the same Skype credentials.
- Your contacts and chat logs will transfer automatically.
- Discover Teams capabilities like group conversations, file sharing and video calls.
Final Thoughts
It is important to back up your Skype conversations, particularly with Skype’s impending shutdown. With the official export tool, chat history extraction, and manual saving of your Skype data, you can guarantee your valuable messages and files are saved.
If you are migrating to Microsoft Teams, it is worth taking the time to back up your Skype data beforehand to avoid a bumpy ride. Whether preserving memories, saving work chat histories or just protecting your data, these processes will ensure you retain your Skype history.
