One of the oldest messenger apps is about to go down. This is after Yahoo announced that the Yahoo Messenger application was going to be shut down on August 5. Users can no longer download the old version of the messenger app from Yahoo. However after the August 5 deadline, the user won’t be able even to send messages or log in in any capacity. Third party clients who used the API of the app will not be able to use it also, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the company.
Yahoo Messenger debut
The software for the Yahoo Messenger app made its way onto the Internet scene back in the late 1990s. It debuted with a classic serif which was understood to stand for Yahoo. The application was well used within the stock trading industry and also managed to get a good following in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the spokesperson. However, Yahoo now has a modern cross-platform Messenger application which comprises of features that were not in the old version. Therefore, the company has decided to give the older version a sell by date.
The company wrote about the move in a blog spot and explained that because of the brand new Yahoo Messenger application for all platforms including the mobile, Web and the Yahoo Mail on the desktop which the company had announced back in 2015, they were going to remove the predecessor.
The company also wrote that they were encouraging users to make the transition to the new and improved Messenger since the older version will mot be supported starting from August 5, 2016. We intend to continue our focused efforts on the new Messenger, as we continually wish to deliver the best experience to our customers the company wrote.
The change will affect all those who are on the Messenger app on the Windows, Mac, Android and iOS platform.
The announcement comes at a crucial time for Yahoo as they are reviewing their strategic options. The company is thought to be including a reverse spin-off various properties in their plans. Back in February, the company announced that they were going to release at least 15 percent of its employees. The digital magazines and various other products have been killed off in the past few months. The top people at Yahoo Labs have also left.
The company also announced that they were going to discontinue the Yahoo Recommends content discovery tool which was available for third party websites which can suggest articles to read.
