Skype’s Shutdown Shakes Up SkyPrivate: Cam Models React and Adapt

Microsoft has shocked us all with the announcement it will retire Skype by May 5, 2025, transitioning users over to Microsoft Teams​.

This move marks the end of an era, similar to the death of MSN Messenger in 2014. Skype has been a cornerstone of how we communicate online for two decades... and an unlikely backbone of many adult webcam sessions. 

SkyPrivate, a platform that enabled pay-per-minute cam shows via Skype, now faces a major upheaval.

How are they responding, and what does it mean for the cam models who built businesses around Skype calls? 

We took a look at the official plan and community reactions in the camming world.

Skype’s Closure and SkyPrivate’s Official Response

Skype’s looming closure sent ripples through the adult industry, but especially for those operating via SkyPrivate.

SkyPrivate, which bills itself as “the only Skype pay-per-minute technology provider,” has long used Skype (and more recently Discord) as a popular medium for private cam shows. With Skype soon to be phased out, SkyPrivate quickly reassured users that this “announcement from Microsoft only reinforces our commitment to adapting and evolving."

Indeed, a quick look at their homepage shows the company walking away from their Skype-focused marketing:

In an official statement, SkyPrivate outlined a roadmap to keep those intimate shows going on new channels:

Teams Integration: Adapting the SkyPrivate plugin for Microsoft Teams. Clearly now a major priority. By May 2025, they aim to enable “premium, paid Teams-to-Teams calls—just like you did on Skype." (They even launched a Teams community for users, with a pro-tip to hide your email for privacy.)

Discord Expansion: Scaling up support for Discord-to-Discord calls. “Many of our users are already enjoying Discord 1-on-1 private paid calls,” SkyPrivate noted, so they plan to make sure everyone knows about this option​. Discord has been a natural fit for cam shows, and SkyPrivate already has a working plugin for it. Still, Discord appeals to a younger demographic, and it's not immediately clear how this will mesh with older customers.

Telegram Shows (Coming Soon): Fast-tracking development of Telegram-to-Telegram private calls. This feature was in the works, but “with the upcoming changes to Skype, we are prioritizing its release”​. Models and members will be able to connect via Telegram once it’s ready – an appealing option for those who favor that app.

Browser-Based Streaming: Exploring built-in web streaming as a longer-term idea. SkyPrivate is considering live streaming directly in the browser (like traditional cam sites do)​. However, their focus remains on one-on-one private interactions, so this is a tentative “maybe” pending feedback.

It's clear to see that SkyPrivate is framing Skype’s end as “a chance to innovate and provide even better solutions” rather than a death knell. 

Their message to models and members: personal connections will continue, just on new platforms. 

But what about the models? 

How do the models themselves feel about these changes?

Cam Models React: Discord Over Teams?

We've been tracking the initial response across cam model forums and social media. The Skype news prompted immediate reactions (from all of us!) – and some strong opinions. 

On the AmberCutie forum (a popular online hub for cam models), a SkyPrivate representative posted the official plan, and models chimed in with their thoughts​

The consensus? 

Discord, yes – Teams, not so much.

One model, SuperPookie, bluntly wrote, “I will not use Teams. It is unsafe for adult. More so even than Skype.” She urged SkyPrivate to “start pushing guys to Discord” and use Telegram only as a backup​.

In her view, Discord is already working (and crucially, allows NSFW content), whereas relying on Microsoft’s Teams poses privacy risks for adult work​. This sentiment was echoed by others. 

Another model pointed out that Telegram’s phone-number requirement is a downside for anonymity – “not ideal, but a lot of models use it including myself”, she noted – and agreed that “Discord 1st, Telegram 2nd” is the best path forward. “Advertising Teams as the main choice doesn’t seem like a good idea,” she added​.

To be fair, we've already seen plenty of ways to bypass the Telegram phone number requirement.

Still, these candid reactions highlight a key challenge: adult creators value privacy and freedom on their communication tools.

We love Skype, but let's be clear: it was never explicitly adult-friendly (some cam models had their Skype accounts banned in the past), but it was familiar and relatively open. 

Microsoft Teams, being a corporate-oriented app, is viewed with skepticism. “It is unsafe for adult,” the model above stressed, reflecting concerns that Microsoft could monitor or shut down adult activities on Teams much more aggressively than it did on Skype​.

That remains to be seen. But once the mood is set, it isn't easy to convince models otherwise.

Discord, by contrast, has a track record of tolerating NSFW in private servers and has already been adopted by many in the community.

In the short term, we expect cam models will embrace the shift to Discord and cautiously approach Teams. Or avoid it altogether. SkyPrivate’s challenge will be convincing both models and clients that any Microsoft solution can be used discreetly – or doubling down on the less formal alternatives that models prefer.

Why SkyPrivate’s Skype Model Was So Popular

It’s worth noting how significant Skype-based shows have been for independent cam models over the years.

SkyPrivate’s model of piggybacking on Skype calls for adult shows might sound unusual to outsiders, but it flourished for several very good reasons:

• Massive User Base & Comfort: Skype is (or at least was) ubiquitous – “over 5 million people using it any given day, spending 3 billion minutes on calls” as one SkyPrivate page touts​. Both models and clients already had Skype installed and knew how to use it. It made arranging a private show as simple as adding a contact and hitting call, no extra software needed. Nice and easy.
• Anonymity & Privacy: Unlike cam sites where shows are public or require logging into a platform, Skype gave a one-on-one, encrypted channel. Models could create a work-only Skype username, keeping their real identity hidden, and clients could do the same. Skype became “the middle ground between privacy and human connection: it allows you to remain anonymous and yet get in touch anytime via text, audio and video”​. That privacy was priceless.
• Higher Earnings for Models: A huge factor. SkyPrivate’s financial setup was super model-friendly. Models set their per-minute rates and received 100% of what the client paid for the call, minus a fee when withdrawing earnings (SkyPrivate takes 20–25%)​. This payout is still significantly higher than traditional cam sites that often split revenue 50/50 or worse. Independent models loved that they could keep the bulk of their earnings​. Regular clients, meanwhile, enjoyed a more personal experience away from the Wild West of cam sites – essentially a private Skype “date” – and only paid for the actual time spent​.
• Direct Relationships: Using Skype meant models and members could easily stay in touch. They often built up a list of regulars in their Skype contacts. There’s a personal touch to seeing the same username pop online, versus a random chatroom. This fostered loyalty and a more relaxed setting for both parties, away from the noise of cam sites. In the words of SkyPrivate’s team, “live camming shows and developing relationships over Skype is far from a novelty” – it has been a core part of the indie cam world for years.

Given these benefits, it’s no surprise that news of Skype’s shutdown has struck a nerve. 

For many performers, Skype shows were a reliable income stream and a way to connect with fans on their own terms. 

Now they have to pivot. And quickly...

The Road Ahead: Discord, Telegram, and “Private Connections”

So what’s next for SkyPrivate and the cam models who relied on it? 

In the coming weeks and months, we’ll likely see a migration to multiple platforms rather than a single replacement for Skype:

• Discord as the New Default: By all accounts, Discord seems poised to become the primary medium for SkyPrivate shows. It’s already integrated (the plugin exists and works), it supports private one-on-one video calls, and it doesn’t demand personal info from models beyond a username. Importantly, it allows adult content in private settings. SkyPrivate’s team is actively encouraging users to join their official Discord community and continue paid calls there​. Many models are on board with this; they were using Discord anyway, and some fans even prefer it. We expect SkyPrivate to heavily promote Discord as the go-to option – it’s obviously the path of least resistance.

• Telegram as a Niche Option: Telegram will likely become an alternative channel. SkyPrivate’s announcement makes it clear Telegram support is coming soon​. The app’s strength is in one-on-one messaging and calls with strong privacy encryption. However, the phone number verification remains a sticking point, for those who can't or won't use the available workarounds – both models and members might hesitate to link a personal number. Telegram does let you hide your number from contacts, but just having to provide one could be a barrier for some. 

• Microsoft Teams – Proceed with Caution: Despite the skepticism, SkyPrivate is building a Teams integration, and it might work fine technically. Teams will inherit Skype’s user base, so ignoring it would be a risky move. Some customers might actually prefer sticking within Microsoft’s ecosystem. SkyPrivate is creating a way to handle “paid Teams-to-Teams calls” and has even started a Teams community​. However, the big question is whether adult use of Teams will be viable long-term. Microsoft’s terms of service for Teams are not adult-oriented, and there are privacy concerns (for example, Teams profiles link to Microsoft accounts, which use emails or phone numbers). The cam community’s early verdict is clear: Teams is not their first choice.

• “Private Connections” & New Solutions: In the longer term, this shake-up might push SkyPrivate to evolve beyond piggybacking on third-party apps. They’re already considering a browser-based streaming solution​, essentially building their own cam platform for one-on-one shows. You don't need us to explain how this is a crowded market. While they’ve built a brand on using familiar apps like Skype, the concept of “SkyPrivate” might rebrand to “Private Connections”, focusing on the experience rather than the app. We may see a more platform-agnostic approach: the SkyPrivate system could work across multiple channels simultaneously. (In fact, some models have suggested they’d love to have clients on whichever app they prefer – be it Discord, Zoom, FaceTime, etc. – as long as payment can be handled safely in the middle.)

SkyPrivate’s CEO has approved the message that they’ll “adapt quickly and bring the best alternatives for private communication”​. It’s a big test of the company’s agility and the loyalty of its user base.

One thing is certain: the demand for intimate, one-on-one cam experiences isn’t going away. 

At CamsRank, we see daily how our Cam2Cam rankings are some of the most sought-after on the site.

Skype’s demise is a shake-up, but we also know that cam models are nothing if not adaptable. They’ve weathered platform bans, policy changes, even a pandemic – and come out thriving. 

As Skype sings its swan song, those private shows are already popping up on Discord servers and, soon, on Telegram chats and Teams meetings (with fingers crossed).

For now, the cam community is in watch-and-wait mode. 

SkyPrivate has about a month to get its users transitioned before Skype goes dark. 

Will Discord reign supreme? Will Microsoft quietly allow Teams shows, or will Telegram surprise us as the next big cam app? 

Everyone is hoping for a smooth encore after Skype takes its final bow.