Microsoft will stop supporting Skype for TV applications from June, noting that the move is a response to shifting behavioural patterns as more users are accessing Skype from a mobile device.

This means the Microsoft owned chat app for TV will no longer be supported on televisions by manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, Philips and more.

A study published on Statista reveals that by 2017, almost 80 percent of all mobile users in the US will own a smartphone. Earlier this year, Facebook pointed out that out of its 1.59 billion monthly active users, 1.44 billion were mobile users.

For Microsoft, this trending pattern of rising smartphones use meant making sure it prioritised "delivering the best possible experience to the platforms our users are asking for”.

In a support article revealing the changes, Microsoft also noted that TV manufacturers may remove the Skype for TV application from some or all of their models.

Samsung had already announced it would discontinue Skype for TV from June 2. Users will get a notification on their smart TVs.

It appears that even if some manufacturers wanted to continue with the Skype for TV application after June, a lack of support from Microsoft will ultimately stop the service.

Skype for TV was launched at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2010. It was initially a big success and major television manufacturers including Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba and Philips adopted the service. Panasonic was one of the first television makers to introduce Skype for TV in 2010.

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