Yahoo Messenger to Be Discontinued July 17

Pour one out for Yahoo Messenger. Yahoo has announced plans to discontinue the vintage chat service on July 17, 2018.

"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," the company wrote. "As the communications landscape continues to change over, we're focusing on building and introducing new, exciting communications tools that better fit consumer needs."

Yahoo first introduced the chat service in 1998, a year after the now-defunct AOL Instant Messenger (otherwise known as AIM) made its debut. The company originally called the service Pager, but in 1999 rebranded it to Messenger.

Under former CEO Marissa Mayer, Yahoo in 2015 launched a new version of Messenger with features like bulk photo sharing, easy access to GIFs, and a Snapchat-esque remote delete function. But trying to compete for users in a crowded market dominated by modern apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Viber, Snapchat, Line, and Telegram proved difficult. The revamped version of Messenger never really caught on with the masses.

Now, Messenger will only continue working normally until July 17. After that date, you will no longer be able to access your chats and the service won't work. Your Yahoo ID will continue to work for other Yahoo properties like Mail and Fantasy.

You have six months to download your Messenger chat history, if you want it. To do that, head over to Yahoo's downloader request site, sign in, select a verification method, enter the code sent to you, click Download, and enter an email where you want the file sent.

In its announcement, Yahoo said it doesn't have an immediate replacement product for Messenger, but is working on a group messaging app called Squirrel, which is currently in beta and only available to those with an invitation. If you're interested in trying out Squirrel, you can head here to request an invite.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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