Yahoo has announced that it will be shutting down instant messaging app Yahoo Messenger on July 17. Yahoo has been beta-testing its new group messaging app Squirrel since last month. The Squirrel message app is expected to be available to the public soon after the shut down of Yahoo Messenger app. Since its inception in 1998, Yahoo Messenger chat service has garnered many fans. With the advent of several new services like Facebook, Whatsapp, etc., Yahoo Messenger saw a decline in user base eventually.
Here are some of the top alternatives to Yahoo Messenger those can be used on both Windows and Mac platform.
Yahoo Squirrel
Yahoo is shifting their gears from Yahoo Messenger to Yahoo Squirrel. The Squirrel app is offering to organize groups, to keep them systematically. Just like Yahoo messenger, the Squirrel chat app supports to create separate rooms for specific people or the room to chat the same type of topics. The main room chat room allows for announcements that can reach group-wide.
As usual, there are secret rooms for chatting privately with your friends or business partner, and the Blasts option let you display the important messages to everyone in your group. The Squirrel app support to share photos, documents, or links.
Download Yahoo Squirrel: Web | iPhone | Android
WhatsApp is one of the most used messaging apps in the world with an average of about 1.5 billion monthly user base. It is available for free on both Android and iOS platforms and is very easy to set up. WhatsApp allows you to chat and share GIF images, photos, location, documents, and even contacts.
It has made life easier for many people especially those who are always on the move. Whatsapp also has the video calling feature. One of the most attractive thing about Whatsapp is its end-to-end encryption feature which protects your privacy. Instead of using a username or email ID, you can create WhatsApp account with a phone number.
Download WhatsApp: Windows | Mac | iPhone | Android
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Slack
Business Chat- Slack is another excellent online messaging app with a rich set of settings and options. You can do real-time messaging, archiving and search for modern teams on Slack.
Slack is an instant messaging app and is available for free. The idea behind Slack is to make communication easier between co-workers and to improve collaboration. Slack helps to have all your team communication in one place, on the go.
Slack being a unified communication tool allows syncing your chat with desktop, iPhone/iPad or Android device. Moreover, it is easy and fun to use. Slack makes it dead simple to find older links or messages that someone sent a few weeks ago. Not only it is super fast and friendly to search, but it is also filterable.
Skype
Business Chat- When it comes to instant messaging and video chatting, Skype is one of the first few apps that comes to mind a few years back. Skype had managed to build itself a huge user base even before Microsoft bought it in 2011, and its user base has continued to increase ever since.
You can send text-based messages, as well as do video chats with your friends on Skype, completely free of charge. With Skype, you can make both video and voice calls to your personal as well as business contacts. Installation is also easy, and there is not much learning curve when it comes to using the Skype app.
For small businesses which are looking for a personal communication tool at a low cost, Skype is an ideal option. Video conference scheduling on Skype is much more flexible than other apps since the participants can join the meeting from the workplace, the school or from home. And, it is usually cheaper and faster than in-person meetings.
Download Skype: Windows | Mac | Linux | iOS | Android
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Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is one of the best ways to chat with your friends. With its ubiquitous adoption and attractive design, it has a huge fan base now. You can send text, voice, SMS, and live videos to your friends with Facebook Messenger. The Messenger app also has cute stickers which are a great addition, and plenty of additional tools and features are with the Facebook Messenger app. Best of all, most of your friends and colleagues that you know probably have a Facebook Messenger account already.
Download Messenger:Â iOS | Android | Windows Phone
Hangout from Google
You can use Hangouts to keep in touch, message friends even in offline, start a free video or voice calls, and hop on a conversation with one person or a group. Hangout let you include all your friends with group chats for up to 100 people and turn any conversation into a free group video call with up to 10 friends. You can connect your Google Voice account to the phone number, SMS, and voicemail integration.
Download Hangout: iOS | Android
Telegram
Telegram is an instant messaging app that is aimed squarely at the security conscious users. It is available for free on both Android and iOS platforms and is very easy to set up. It features a fast, encrypted messaging system with client-server encryption for added security. Telegram app also has a Secure Chat mode which provides end-to-end encryption similar to Whatsapp. It also allows you to send self-destructing messages which will self-destruct after a specific period. If you leave your Telegram account for six months (non-usage), it will automatically self-destruct your account too.
Download Telegram: Windows | Mac | Linux | iOS | Android
Kik
Kik is well known for its anonymity; you can easily create a Kik account with minimal info. Once you have an account, you can instantly network with your friends or anyone in Kik by searching for their usernames, or through QR-like Kik Codes. You can send text messages, GIFs, photos, and games. The app has been updated with more user controls now after coming under fire for its extreme anonymity, given occasions where crooks have used the Kik platform to find victims.
Line
Line app is another instant messaging platform which has made a mark for itself especially in Asia. It is available for free on both Android and iOS platforms. It has more than 600 million users worldwide, but a majority of the users are from Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia. You can chat, send photos, videos, audio messages with lively stickers. Line app also has a provision for making paid international calls.
Download Line: iOS | Android | Windows
Yahoo launched its new version of Yahoo Messenger in December 2015 and phased out the original app in August 2016. Even with an updated look, modern design, and many new features, Yahoo Messenger has failed to make a mark due to the rise of other mobile-based messaging platforms.
There are even more messaging platforms available to choose from. We have listed these apps based on usability, user base, and availability on both Android and iOS platforms. Which one do you use? Comment your thoughts below!