Recovering my contacts list in Teams

Sign in to Teams Free with the exact Microsoft account previously used for Skype, then open People → All contacts; Skype contacts are associated with that account and are not restored from the old Windows installation. ^1^

1. Select the original Skype account

A Windows recovery can cause Teams to select another Microsoft account automatically.

1. In Teams, select your profile picture.
2. Check the displayed email address/account.
3. If it is not the account previously used for Skype:
   • Select Add another account.
   • Select Create or use another account.
   • Sign in using the original Skype credentials.
4. Select the profile picture again and switch to that account. Teams supports multiple accounts, but each account has separate chats, contacts, and activity. ^2^

Do not create a replacement Teams account for this migration. Microsoft states that signing in to Teams Free with the existing Skype account makes its eligible chats and contacts available automatically. ^1^

2. Find the contact list in New Teams

The old Skype-style contact layout has been replaced by the People area:

1. Select People on the left.
2. Select All contacts.
3. Select a person and choose Chat or Call.
4. Select Active now to see contacts currently using Teams Free.

The People list includes people from personal chats, group chats, and communities. ^3^

If People is not visible, use the search box at the top of Teams:

1. Search using the person’s name, email address, or telephone number.
2. Select the correct person in the results.
3. Start a chat; that interaction should then be represented in the People experience. ^4^

Telephone-number-only entries are different: phone number contacts were not transferred as callable Teams Free contacts, and Teams Free does not generally provide telephone calling plans. ^5^

3. Correct the “offline” appearance

This is separate from whether the contact list migrated.

1. Select your profile picture.
2. Select the current presence status.
3. Choose Available, or choose Reset status if Teams is explicitly set to Appear offline. ^6^
4. Open Settings and more → Settings → Privacy.
5. Under Manage how people can find you, select Manage contact information.
6. Turn on the email address, phone number, or profile name that friends use to locate you.
7. Under Manage how people can call you, choose Everyone temporarily if callers are not yet recognized as contacts. ^7^

If Teams displays a banner asking you to sign in again, complete that sign-in. While access is challenged, Teams prevents new chats and calls from arriving. ^8^

If the original account is correct but remains empty

Skype retired on May 5, 2025, and Microsoft subsequently applied retention rules to older Skype history. Users who did not meet the documented Skype/Teams activity criteria could have their retained data deleted after June 15, 2026. If that applies, reinstalling Teams cannot restore the deleted server-side data. ^1^

For an account that should qualify but still shows no contacts, use Microsoft’s Skype support page and select I don’t see my contacts, Skype Credit or chat history after signing in. ^9^

References

1. Skype is retiring in May 2025: What you need to know | Microsoft Support
2. Manage accounts and organizations in Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Support
3. Manage your contacts in Microsoft Teams for personal use
4. Find your contacts in Microsoft Teams for personal use | Microsoft Support
5. transfer of phone numbers from Skype to Teams - Microsoft Q&A
6. Update your status or set a status message in Microsoft Teams for personal use | Microsoft Support
7. [Desktop](https://support.microsoft.com/teams/personal/privacy-safety/manage-privacy-settings-in-microsoft-teams-personal)
8. Restore your access to Microsoft Teams for personal use | Microsoft Support
9. Contact Skype support | Microsoft Support