Yahoo Messenger is shutting down. The company announced a few days ago that it will shut down its popular chatting service on July 17. After that date, users will no longer be able to connect to the app. It also stated that it will make this move in order to create a more updated instant messaging app that is in line with current trends and adds missing features.
In a post on the Yahoo Help forum, the company announced, “We know that we have a large following that has been using Yahoo Messenger since its inception as it was one of the first chat apps of its kind. As needs and trends continue to change, we strive to build new tools that fit the needs of users.”.
Yahoo Messenger was one of the first chat apps of its kind and launched about 20 years ago. Although it was very popular with computer users, the development of chat apps on mobile phones from big companies like Facebook and Google attracted a large share of users, resulting in the decline of Messenger. While there is no immediate replacement for the service from Yahoo yet, the company seems to be experimenting with an invite-only, for now, app called Yahoo Squirrel, which is expected to be released in the near future.
Yahoo users will have 6 months from the date of termination of the service to download their message history through its site for any backup they need. Additional information can be found on the official page.
