Instant messaging

A classic example of instant messaging on a desktop computer: the left window of this software showing a list of contacts ("buddy list") and the right window an active IM conversation
An example of instant messaging on mobile, featuring the exchange of pictures and audio on top of text

Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of synchronous computer-mediated communication involving the immediate (real-time) transmission of messages between two or more parties over the Internet or another computer network. Originally involving simple text message exchanges, modern IM applications and services (also called "social messengers", "messaging apps", "chat apps" or "chat clients") tend to also feature the exchange of multimedia, emojis, file transfer, VoIP (voice calling), and video chat capabilities.

Instant messaging systems facilitate connections between specified known users[1] (often using a contact list also known as a "buddy list" or "friend list") or in chat rooms, and can be standalone apps or integrated into a wider social media platform, or in a website where it can for instance be used for conversational commerce. Originally the term "instant messaging" was distinguished from "text messaging" by being run on a computer network instead of a cellular/mobile network, being able to write longer messages, real-time communication, presence ("status"), and being free (only cost of access instead of per SMS message sent).[2][3][4]

Instant messaging was pioneered in the early Internet era; the IRC protocol was the earliest to achieve wide adoption.[5] Later in the 1990s, ICQ was among the first closed and commercialized instant messengers, and several rival services appeared afterwards as it became a popular use of the Internet.[6] Beginning with its first introduction in 2005, BlackBerry Messenger became the first popular example of mobile-based IM, combining features of traditional IM and mobile SMS.[7][8] Instant messaging remains very popular today; IM apps are the most widely used smartphone apps: in 2018 for instance there were 980 million monthly active users of WeChat and 1.3 billion monthly users of WhatsApp, the largest IM network.

  1. ^ "What is Instant Messaging? - Definition from SearchUnifiedCommunications". Unified Communications. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  2. ^ "Will instant messaging be the new texting?". 2003-06-30. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  3. ^ "MMS-MULTI MEDIA MESSAGING AND MMS-INTERCONNECTION". Electronic Communications Committee (ECC). 2004.
  4. ^ Foderaro, Lisa W. (2005-01-09). "Young Cell Users Rack Up Debt, a Message at a Time". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  5. ^ "History of IRC". 4 January 2021. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  6. ^ "The Evolution of Instant Messaging". 17 November 2016.
  7. ^ "How BlackBerry Messenger Forever Changed the Way We Text". Inverse. 2023-05-09. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  8. ^ "RIP, ICQ: Why all instant messaging disappears (in the end)". ZDNET. Retrieved 2024-08-06.