Yahoo Messenger is an instant messaging service from Yahoo available for mobile devices via smartphone applications and for desktop users via the web and software programs.
The service was shut down by Yahoo on July 17, 2018. However, it's not the only IM program available; there are many Yahoo Messenger alternatives that work essentially the same way.
The Yahoo Messenger app is very similar to other messaging apps. You can use the internet to send free text messages to your friends, and it works on a variety of platforms. This means you can install the app on your phone or tablet, or install it on your computer to send free text messages without paying for text messaging services.
In addition to text, other content such as GIFs, images, emojis, and other files are supported. As long as you have an active internet connection, whether it's Wi-Fi or a mobile data plan, you can communicate with friends and family absolutely free.
Yahoo Messenger has undergone many changes over the years. It was released in 1998 as Yahoo! Pager with built-in chat room service, renamed to its final name a year later.
Features came and went, including a LAUNCHcast Radio plug-in, in-chat YouTube streaming and gaming, VoIP, video calling, Yahoo! 360 integration, voicemail, Flickr support, and the ability to chat with Facebook friends.
Service terminations are not uncommon, including for long-standing services like Yahoo Messenger. The company's goals keep changing, there are too few registered users, competing services appear, the company loses money, etc.
Here's Yahoo's explanation for the termination of Yahoo Messenger:
As the communications landscape continues to change, we're committed to building and launching new and exciting communications tools to better meet consumer needs.
Even though Yahoo Messenger is dead, you're not without modern options. In fact, there are dozens of apps you can use instead. For example, Facebook Messenger, Skype, WhatsApp, and Signal are all good options that are still under active development.
The replacement you choose should depend on what you want it to do. For example, there are many ways to call someone just using the app. Or maybe you want to make free video calls from your computer.
Most messaging apps actually include all of these features; they let you make audio and video calls, send and receive texts, and share files. Some of them (such as Facebook Messenger) are more closely related to Yahoo Messenger than others, and can run from phones/tablets, computers, and web browsers.
Yahoo launched its own Yahoo Messenger alternative in 2018, initially called Yahoo! Squirrel alongside Yahoo! However, just a year later, it too was closed.
Yahoo is still very active, so you can still use your account for other things, such as accessing Yahoo Mail.
