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Original author(s) | Mirabilis |
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Developer(s) | |
Initial release | November 15, 1996 |
Final release | 10.0.46867 (May 27, 2022)
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Repository | |
Written in | |
Platform | |
Available in |
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Type | Instant messaging |
License | Proprietary |
Website | icq |
ICQ was a cross-platform instant messaging (IM) and VoIP client. The name ICQ derives from the English phrase "I Seek You".[1] Originally developed by the Israeli company Mirabilis in 1996, the client was bought by AOL in 1998, and then by Mail.Ru Group (now VK) in 2010.[2]
The ICQ client application and service were initially released in November 1996, freely available to download. The business did not have traditional marketing and relied mostly on word-of-mouth advertising instead, with customers telling their friends about it, who then informed their friends, and so on.[3] ICQ was among the first stand-alone instant messenger (IM) applications—while real-time chat was not in itself new (Internet Relay Chat [IRC] being the most common platform at the time), the concept of a fully centralized service with individual user accounts focused on one-on-one conversations set the blueprint for later instant messaging services like AIM,[4] and its influence is seen in modern social media applications. ICQ became the first widely adopted IM platform.[5]
At its peak around 2001, ICQ had more than 100 million accounts registered.[1] At the time of the Mail.Ru acquisition in 2010, there were around 42 million daily users.[6] In 2022, ICQ had about 11 million monthly users.[7]
The service was shut down on June 26, 2024, following an announcement on the website of ICQ in May 2024 that the service would be discontinued.[8]