Before the arrival of WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, LINE, KakaoTalk, Telegram, and so on, there existed mIRC, ICQ, AIM, and Yahoo Messenger. Now for the most part these chat applications have sort of faded from the mainstream, or in the case of AIM, was actually shut down back in December 2017.Now it looks like Yahoo Messenger is next, according to a recent update on the Yahoo Messenger website (via CNET). According to the website, “Yahoo Messenger will no longer be supported after July 17, 2018. Until then, you can continue to use the service normally. After July 17, you’ll no longer be able to access your chats and the service will no longer work.”
As to why it will be shutting down, the official answer is, “We know we have many loyal fans who have used Yahoo Messenger since its beginning as one of the first chat apps of its kind. As the communications landscape continues to change over, we’re focusing on building and introducing new, exciting communications tools that better fit consumer needs.”
For those looking for an alternative, the company has pointed users towards Yahoo Squirrel which is an invite-only messaging app that is currently in beta. Users who are interested will also be able to download their chat history over the next six months.