WhereIsAtlas · ICQ

What Happened to ICQ?

The pioneering instant messenger of the 1990s, famed for its "Uh oh!" sound — shut down in 2024.

ICQ was the pioneering instant messenger launched in Israel in 1996 that defined online chat for a generation. Shut down in June 2024 after 28 years, it is remembered as the app that made real-time messaging mainstream.

The messenger that started it all

ICQ launched in 1996 and introduced the world to instant messaging as we know it. Users claimed an ICQ number, built a buddy list and could chat in real time — long before the social-media era.

A global icon

ICQ became an international sensation, its green flower logo and signature "Uh oh!" sound instantly recognisable. It was acquired by AOL in 1998 for a then-record price, a sign of just how central chat had become to the internet.

Overtaken by a faster world

ICQ was gradually outclassed — first by MSN Messenger and other chat apps, and decisively by the rise of WhatsApp and smartphones. Yet for years it endured as a nostalgia favourite among a loyal base.

Where ICQ is now

After a long twilight under Russian ownership, ICQ was finally switched off in June 2024, bringing a 28-year run to an end. It is remembered as the pioneer that made instant messaging a cornerstone of internet life.

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Sources

  1. ICQ - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (2026-09-05)
  2. Pioneering internet messenger ICQ shuts after 28 years — Malay Mail (2026-09-05)