An instant messaging app was available for decades and loved by many. Soon, this WhatsApp competitor will be discontinued.
A well-known messenger is being discontinued almost 28 years after its launch. (Source: Screenshot ICQ)
The instant messenger ICQ, which stands for “I seek you”, was launched in 1996. Now the app is being discontinued after almost 28 years.
You can only use ICQ until June 26, 2024. The provider advises on your own websitethen switch to the Russian services VK Messenger and VK WorkSpace. However, ICQ does not reveal whether a transfer of contacts and chats to VK Messenger is possible.
The discontinuation of the WhatsApp alternative comes as something of a surprise, especially since it had just received a new design. There were hopes and speculations about a comeback, but VK has apparently given up.
When dial-up Internet connections were still normal for many and DSL was relatively new, the messaging platform had 2.5 million daily users, reports the tech magazine Tom’s Hardware
In 1998, AOL bought ICQ from Mirabilis for 407 million US dollars. In 2010, the Russian company Mail.Ru acquired the messenger because it was popular in Russia. Mail.Ru was later renamed “VK”.
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