Amazon has announced that it will discontinue its video conferencing platform, Chime, effective February 20, 2026. The company confirmed the shutdown in a blog post, stating that it will no longer support Chime, including its Business Calling features, after the specified date.

The writing was on the wall for Chime, which was launched in 2017 with a focus on business usage. Despite its ambitious beginnings, the platform failed to gain significant traction outside of Amazon's own ecosystem. According to a company spokesperson, this lack of adoption was a major factor in the decision to shut down Chime.

In preparation for the shutdown, Amazon stopped accepting new Chime accounts as of February 19, 2025. Existing customers will still be able to use the platform until its end of life, with access to features like scheduling and hosting meetings, user management, and administration console tools. However, the Amazon Chime SDK will not be impacted by the shutdown.

As the clock ticks down on Chime, Amazon is advising customers to delete their data and migrate to alternative web meeting services. The company has recommended solutions like AWS Wickr, Zoom, and Salesforce's Slack. Notably, Business Insider reports that Amazon will make Zoom its official meeting app going forward, further underscoring Chime's lack of success.

The shutdown of Chime raises questions about Amazon's strategy in the video conferencing space. While the company has invested heavily in its cloud computing infrastructure, its foray into video conferencing appears to have been a misstep. The rise of Zoom and other popular video conferencing platforms has likely contributed to Chime's struggles, making it an increasingly crowded and competitive market.

For users who have come to rely on Chime, the shutdown may come as a disappointment. However, the abundance of alternative solutions available should mitigate any disruption. As the video conferencing landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Amazon adapts and potentially re-enters the market in the future.

In the meantime, the shutdown of Chime serves as a reminder that even the largest and most influential technology companies can stumble. As the tech giant shifts its focus to other areas, it remains to be seen what lessons can be learned from Chime's underwhelming performance.