This week several outlets reported a change coming to Microsoft’s Skype communications app that will require all users to sign in to the service using only their Microsoft Account beginning in January 2018.
This change was quietly announced through a Skype for Windows 10 support page update that provides an answer to the question Can I sign in to Skype with my Facebook account?.
In that answer Microsoft states that this change, to remove the ability for users to log in to the service using their Facebook credentials, is necessary as part of the continued roll out of the updated Skype client and back-end infrastructure upgrades that have been going on for several months.
Users with an existing Microsoft Account can already begin using that account to log in to the service prior to the Facebook capability being deprecated in January 2018.
The support article also contains instructions for transferring your Facebook contacts and Skype chat history from Skype for Windows Desktop and Skype for Mac so they are available under your Microsoft Account.
In addition, any Skype credit can be moved over to your existing or new Microsoft Account using the services transfer tool which will help users move payment information between the Facebook and Microsoft Accounts. Not to worry though, according to Microsoft if you do not move over Skype credits that are left on your Facebook account before January 10, 2018 then you will receive a refund at some point after that date.
