ICQ messenger shuts down after almost 28 years

The ICQ messaging app is shutting down on June 26th, marking the end of a much-beloved communication application.

Before there was AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, or Discord (which came much later), there was a free messaging app called ICQ that over 100 million users used to coordinate plans, chat about life, or communicate while playing online games.

ICQ (“I seek you”) launched in 1996, just a short time before AOL Instant Messenger, and was loved for its ease of use, 1-on-1 or group chats, and the ability to communicate with people all over the world in real-time for free.

In its heyday, ICQ boasted over 100 million users on its platform, which was a remarkable achievement at the time. In 2010, ICQ was purchased by Mail.ru (now VK), who has since owned the products as it declined in use.

Today, ICQ announced that they are shutting down on June 26th, recommending that users switch to VK Messenger and Workspace.

ICQ has not shared why they are shutting down, and BleepingComputer emailed VK to learn more, but a response was not immediately available.

However, this marks the end of a software that many have not used for years, but brings back a lot good memories.