As Yahoo! Messenger gets older so too do some of the “vintage” versions that are still in use by some users.
In an effort to provide the best experience for our users and maintain high security standards, we will officially retire Yahoo! Messenger versions 6.0 through 7.5 in August, 2009. This means that if you are currently using a version of Yahoo! Messenger that is below 8.0, you will no longer be able to sign in and use it after the retirement date in August.
If you are one of these users, you’ll begin seeing messages in-product about the upcoming retirement. You have several options for continuing to use Yahoo! Messenger:
Option 1: Download the latest version for Windows
You can use Yahoo! Messenger 9.0 which offers enhanced security as well as better protection from spam (info | video demo | download). It was even voted the best overall client in the 2009 About.com IM Awards. 9.0 also includes more advanced features like voice calling, free mobile text messaging (SMS), as well as the ability to IM with friends that use Windows Live™ Messenger.
Option 2: Use Yahoo! Messenger for the Web
If you can’t use the latest version mentioned above, you can always sign in to Yahoo! Messenger for the Web from any web browser. No extra download or installation is required. With our web version, you can send IM’s as well as SMS text messages to your friend’s mobile phones for free. Our web version also includes anywhere archiving, allowing you to access your message history from any computer or browser. Try it now at http://webmessenger.yahoo.com.
Option 3: Use the built-in IM feature in Yahoo! Mail
Both versions of Yahoo! Mail offer a built-in feature that lets you send and receive IMs. If you’re using the all-new Yahoo! Mail, just click the status menu next to your name in the upper header and change your status to “Available”. This will sign you into Yahoo! Messenger (you also have the option of staying invisible). IM conversations occur in separate tabs within your Mail page.
In Yahoo! Mail Classic, you’ll see a module on the left hand side of the page labeled “Chat & Mobile Text”. Click on the status menu in that module to change to “Available” (or Invisible). IM conversations will show up in a small box in the lower right corner of your Yahoo! Mail Classic page (but it won’t interfere with your Mail messages or using Mail).
As an alternative, there are also solutions available for your mobile phone. We recently launched Yahoo! Messenger for the iPhone and additionals versions are available for other mobile handsets. Find out more
And remember, no matter what version you migrate to, your contact list always goes with you. As the date gets closer, we’ll remind you again here on the blog and provide the final date for retirement.
Yay! We received a CNET WebWare 100 Award this week in the Communication category. Our fellow Yahoos at Flickr also received one in the Photo and Video category, and Yahoo! received one for Search and Reference.
Today, May 19, from 3pm to 4pm Pacific Time, (calculate for your time zone) we will be performing server maintenance on the chat rooms in Yahoo! Messenger.
During this time the chat rooms will be unavailable and if you are in a room when the maintenance begins, you will be disconnected.
We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.
UPDATE: 3:45PM PST This maintenance is now complete. Thanks
It’s finally arrived – the all new Yahoo! Messenger for the iPhone application.
Now you can take the best of Yahoo! Messenger with you and stay in touch with friends through your iPhone or iPod Touch, no matter where you are.
A short demo video is included below. Here are the top features of the new app:
Instant message: Send text messages back and forth with your friends, including emoticons and web links.
Photo sharing: Take a photo on your iPhone and send that, or grab one from your photo gallery to share.
Stealth settings: Sign in as invisible, or change your status to invisible once you’re in the app.
Custom status message: Enter a custom status message for your friends to see. You can even include a web link with it.
Recent conversations archive: Under Messages, tap a contact and you’ll see your most recent conversation. You can type in a message from there to start chatting again.
Special idle state: If you have to leave the app for whatever reason, like a call comes in or you click a link in an IM that takes you to Safari, the Yahoo! Messenger for iPhone app will keep you signed in but change your status to idle. That way you can continue to receive messages and provided you return to the app within ten minutes, pick up where you left off.
Additional settings: Tap the Settings icon to change the sort order of your contact list, or to show or hide offline contacts in your list.
The Yahoo! Messenger for the iPhone application is free and can be downloaded through the iTunes App Store or through the App Store on your iPhone or iPod Touch (search for Yahoo! Messenger).
Even if you don’t have an iPhone, Yahoo! Messenger is available for other types of mobile phones including the Blackberry. Visit our mobile site to find out what works with your phone.
As Yahoo! Messenger gets older so too do some of the “vintage” versions that are still in use by some users.
Today, May 19, from 3pm to 4pm Pacific Time, (
We did it! With the help of your votes, we retained our title and won several more categories in the 