Skype SMS Shut Down. Now What?

Microsoft quietly killed Skype's SMS features. If you used a Skype Number to receive verification codes while abroad, you probably noticed.

This matters if you're a digital nomad, expat, or anyone who travels and needs to access accounts back home. A lot of services still require SMS verification, and Skype was one of the few affordable ways to receive those codes internationally.

So what now?

What Actually Happened

Skype stopped supporting SMS send and receive. The feature had been unreliable for years, but it worked well enough for many travelers. Now it's gone entirely.

This leaves a gap. If your US bank sends a verification code and you're in Thailand, you need some way to receive it. Roaming is expensive. Local SIMs don't help with your home country's services.

The Options

Here's what's available:

Keep your home SIM active with roaming. Works, but expensive. Most carriers charge $10-15/day for international roaming, or $50-100/month for an international plan. And even then, SMS delivery can be spotty.

Google Voice. Free US number, but many banks and financial services reject it. They can detect it's a VoIP number. Success rate varies wildly depending on the service.

eSIM with international plan. Good for data, but doesn't solve the verification code problem. You still need your original number to receive those codes.

Forward SMS through a carrier app. Some carriers offer this, but it's usually limited and requires an active plan.

Dedicated SMS forwarding service. This is what Tether does. You get a real phone number that forwards incoming SMS to Telegram, Email, or other platforms.

What Tether Does Differently

I'm building Tether specifically for this problem. The approach:

Dedicated phone numbers. Numbers in 8 countries (US, Canada, UK, Australia, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia). U.S. numbers are assigned after checkout based on provider availability; other supported countries usually show available inventory before checkout. Many services work well with Tether, though some banks and financial apps block forwarding or virtual numbers. More coming soon.

Instant forwarding. SMS arrives, gets forwarded to Telegram or Email within seconds. No waiting, no delays, no checking a separate app.

Built for SMS. That's the whole product. Not calling, not video, not chat. Just reliable SMS forwarding for the codes you actually need.

Plans start at $4/month.

What Tether Can't Do

Some services check your physical location or require voice callbacks. No SMS service solves those. Tether handles incoming text messages, that's it.

Sign up when you're ready to choose a plan and request or select your first number.