ICQ to Shut Down on June 26 After 28 Years

The once popular ICQ messenger is being shut down on June 26, 2024 after 28 years of operation.

Users were informed of the closure yesterday with the following message being posted to the app's website:

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ICQ will stop working from June 26
You can chat with friends in VK Messenger, and with colleagues in VK WorkSpace
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ICQ (which stands for "I Seek You") is one of the earliest instant messaging clients, developed by the Israeli company Mirabilis and released in November 1996. The software quickly gained popularity, offering users the ability to chat in real time over the internet.

In June 1998, America Online (AOL) acquired Mirabilis for $287 million upfront and $120 million in additional performance based payments. Then, in April 2010, AOL sold ICQ to the Russian investment firm Digital Sky Technologies (DST), which later became Mail.ru Group, for $187.5 million.

ICQ users are being directed to switch to VK Messenger from VK, a company that is owned by Mail.ru, Russian state-owned bank Gazprombank, and insurance company Sogaz.

The ICQ app has already been removed from the App Store. You can find VK Messenger here.


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