View source for Social:Instant messaging

{{Short description|Form of communication over the internet}}
[[File:Gossip-chat.png|thumb|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]]
'''Instant messaging''' ('''IM''') technology is a type of [[Social:Online chat|online chat]] allowing immediate transmission of messages over the [[Internet]] or another [[Computer network|computer network]]. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties, when each user inputs text and triggers a transmission to the recipient(s), who are all connected on a common network.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is Instant Messaging? - Definition from SearchUnifiedCommunications |url=https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/definition/instant-messaging |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Unified Communications |language=en}}</ref> It differs from [[Email|email]] in that conversations over instant messaging happen in real-time (hence "instant"). Most modern IM applications (sometimes called "social messengers", "messaging apps", "chat apps" or "chat clients") use [[Engineering:Push technology|push technology]] and also add other features such as [[Emoji|emoji]]s (or graphical [[Smiley|smiley]]s), [[File transfer|file transfer]], chatbots, [[Engineering:Voice over IP|voice over IP]], or [[Videotelephony|video chat]] capabilities.

Instant messaging systems tend to facilitate connections between specified known users (often using a contact list also known as a "buddy list" or "friend list"), and can be standalone applications or integrated into e.g. a wider [[Social:Social media|social media]] platform, or a website where it can for instance be used for [[Finance:Conversational commerce|conversational commerce]]. IM can also consist of conversations in "[[Social:Chat room|chat room]]s". Depending on the IM protocol, the technical architecture can be [[Peer-to-peer|peer-to-peer]] (direct [[Engineering:Point-to-point (telecommunications)|point-to-point]] transmission) or [[Client–server model|client–server]] (an IM service center retransmits messages from the sender to the communication device). It is usually distinguished from text messaging which is typically simpler and normally uses cellular phone networks.

Instant messaging applications can store messages with either local-based device storage (e.g. [[Software:WhatsApp|WhatsApp]], [[Software:Viber|Viber]], [[Software:Line|Line]], [[Software:WeChat|WeChat]], [[Software:Signal|Signal]] etc.) or cloud-based server storage (e.g. [[Software:Telegram|Telegram]], [[Software:Skype|Skype]], [[Software:Facebook Messenger|Facebook Messenger]], Google [[Software:Google Meet|Meet]]/[[Software:Google Chat|Chat]], [[Software:Discord|Discord]], [[Software:Slack|Slack]] etc.).

Instant messaging was pioneered in the early Internet era; the IRC protocol was the earliest to achieve wide adoption.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://history-computer.com/software/history-of-irc/|title = History of IRC| date=4 January 2021 }}</ref> Later in the 1990s, [[Software:ICQ|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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visualcapitalist.com/evolution-instant-messaging/|title = The Evolution of Instant Messaging|date = 17 November 2016}}</ref> Beginning with its first introduction in 2005, [[Software:BlackBerry Messenger|BlackBerry Messenger]], which initially had been available only on BlackBerry smartphones, soon became one of the most popular mobile instant messaging apps worldwide. BBM was for instance the most used mobile messaging app in the United Kingdom<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Lee|first1=Tyler|last2=PDT|first2=on 06/21/2013 02:28|title=BBM Is The Favorite Messaging Platform In The UK According To Research|url=https://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/06/bbm-is-the-favorite-messaging-platform-in-the-uk-according-to-research/|access-date=2021-10-01|website=Ubergizmo|language=en}}</ref> and Indonesia.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Infatuation with Messaging Apps Continues in Indonesia - eMarketer|url=https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Infatuation-with-Messaging-Apps-Continues-Indonesia/1013808|access-date=2021-10-01|website=www.emarketer.com|language=en}}</ref> Instant messaging remains very popular today; IM apps are the most widely used [[Engineering:Smartphone|smartphone]] apps: in 2018 there were over 50 million [[Software:Signal|Signal]] users, 980 million [[Software:Monthly active users|monthly active users]] of [[Software:WeChat|WeChat]] and 1.3 billion monthly users of [[Software:WhatsApp|WhatsApp Messenger]].

== Overview ==
Instant messaging is a set of communication technologies used for text-based communication between two ([[Private message|private messaging]]) or more (chat room) participants over the Internet or other types of [[Computer network|network]]s (see also [[Social:LAN messenger|LAN messenger]]).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-09-01 |title=Part 1. Introduction: The basics of instant messaging |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2004/09/01/part-1-introduction-the-basics-of-instant-messaging/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech |language=en-US}}</ref> IM chats happen in real-time. Online chat and instant messaging differ from other technologies such as email due to the perceived quasi-[[Synchronization|synchrony]] of the communications by the users, although some systems allow users to send offline messages that the other user receives when logging in.<ref>{{Cite web|title=8 Examples of Instant Messaging {{!}} ezTalks|url=https://www.eztalks.com/unified-communications/examples-of-instant-messaging.html|access-date=2020-08-06|website=www.eztalks.com}}</ref>

IM allows effective and efficient communication, allowing immediate receipt of acknowledgment or reply. However IM is basically not necessarily supported by [[Transaction processing|transaction control]]. In many cases, instant messaging includes added features which can make it even more popular. For example, users may see each other via [[Webcam|webcam]]s, or talk directly for free over the Internet using a [[Microphone|microphone]] and headphones or loudspeakers. Many applications allow file transfers, although they are usually limited in the permissible file-size.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Clifford|first=Catherine|date=2013-12-11|title=Top 10 Apps for Instant Messaging (Infographic)|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230335|access-date=2020-08-06|website=Entrepreneur|language=en}}</ref> It is usually possible to save a text conversation for later reference. Instant messages are often logged in a local message history, making it similar to the persistent nature of emails.

Major IM services are controlled by their corresponding companies. They usually follow the [[Client–server model|client–server model]] when all clients have to first connect to the central server.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-03-28 |title=How Instant Messaging Works |url=https://computer.howstuffworks.com/e-mail-messaging/instant-messaging.htm |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=HowStuffWorks |language=en-us}}</ref> This requires users to trust this server because messages can generally be accessed by the company. Companies may be compelled to reveal their user's communication, and companies can also suspend user accounts for any reason.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/05/26/skype_in_belgium_court_summons_microsoft/|title=Skype hauled into court after refusing to hand call records to cops|website=The Register|date=26 May 2015|access-date=17 March 2017}}</ref>

Non-IM types of chat include [[Engineering:Multicast|multicast]] transmission, usually referred to as "chat rooms", where participants might be anonymous or might be previously known to each other (for example collaborators on a project that is using chat to facilitate communication).

An instant message service center (IMSC) is a network element in the [[Engineering:Mobile phone|mobile telephone]] network which delivers instant messages. When a user sends an IM message to another user, the phone sends the message to the IMSC.  The IMSC stores the message and delivers it to the destination user when they are available. The IMSC usually has a configurable time limit for how long it will store the message. Few companies who make many of the IMSCs in use in the GSM world are Miyowa, Followap and OZ. Other players include [[Company:Acision|Acision]], Colibria, [[Company:Ericsson|Ericsson]], [[Company:Nokia|Nokia]], [[Company:Comverse Technology|Comverse Technology]], Now Wireless, Jinny Software, Miyowa, Feelingk and few others.

The term "Instant Messenger" is a [[Social:Service mark|service mark]] of Time Warner and may not be used in software not affiliated with AOL in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/foia/ttab/decsum/2006/16jan06.pdf|title=Summary Of Final Decisions Issued By The Trademark Trial And Appeal Board|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008035329/https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/foia/ttab/decsum/2006/16jan06.pdf|archive-date=8 October 2012|access-date=2012-05-11}}</ref> For this reason, in April 2007, the instant messaging client formerly named Gaim (or gaim) announced that they would be renamed "[[Software:Pidgin|Pidgin]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pidgin.im/index.php?id=177|title=Important and Long Delayed News|date=April 6, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408150853/http://www.pidgin.im/index.php?id=177|archive-date=April 8, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Clients ===
[[File:Instant messengers protocols.svg|thumb|Instant messengers by protocol]]
Modern IM services generally provide their own client, either a separately installed piece of software, or a browser-based client. They are normally centralised networks run by the servers of the platform's operators, unlike [[Peer-to-peer|peer-to-peer]] protocols like [[XMPP]]. These usually only work within the same IM network, although some allow limited function with other services. Third party client software applications exist that will connect with most of the major IM services. There is the class of instant messengers that uses the [[Serverless computing|serverless]] model, which doesn't require servers, and the IM network consists only of clients. There are several serverless messengers: [[Software:RetroShare|RetroShare]], [[Software:Tox (protocol)|Tox]], [[Software:Bitmessage|Bitmessage]], [[Software:Ricochet|Ricochet]], [[Software:Ring|Ring]].

Some examples of popular IM services today include [[Software:Signal|Signal]], [[Software:Telegram|Telegram]], [[Software:WhatsApp|WhatsApp]] [[Software:Messenger|Messenger]], [[Software:WeChat|WeChat]], [[Software:Tencent QQ|QQ Messenger]], [[Software:Viber|Viber]], Line, and [[Software:Snapchat|Snapchat]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}} The popularity of certain apps greatly differ between different countries. Certain apps have emphasis on certain uses - for example [[Software:Skype|Skype]] focuses on video calling, [[Software:Slack|Slack]] focuses on messaging and file sharing for work teams, and Snapchat focuses on image messages. Some social networking services offer messaging services as a component of their overall platform, such as [[Company:Facebook|Facebook]]'s Facebook Messenger, who also own [[Software:WhatsApp|WhatsApp]]. Others have a direct messaging function as an additional adjunct component of their social networking platforms, like [[Software:Instagram|Instagram]], [[Company:Reddit|Reddit]], [[Company:Tumblr|Tumblr]], [[Software:TikTok|TikTok]], [[Software:Clubhouse (app)|Clubhouse]] and [[Company:Twitter|Twitter]], either directly or through chat rooms.

===Features===
[[File:Pidgin screenshot.png|thumb|upright|A buddy list on Pidgin]]

====Private and group messaging====
Private chat allows private conversation with another person or a group. The privacy aspect can also be enhanced in a number of ways such as [[End-to-end encryption|end to end encryption]] by default like [[Software:Signal|Signal]]. Or some applications have a timer feature, like [[Software:Snapchat|Snapchat]], where messages, conversations or files such as photos are automatically deleted from the users phone once the time limit is reached. Public and group chat features allow users to communicate with multiple people at a time.

====Calling====
Many major IM services and applications offer the call feature for user-to-user calls, conference calls, and voice messages. The call functionality is useful for professionals who utilize the application for work purposes and as a hands-free method. [[Videotelephony]] using a [[Webcam|webcam]] is also possible by some.

====Games and entertainment====
Some IM applications include in-app games for entertainment. [[Software:Yahoo! Messenger|Yahoo! Messenger]] for example introduced these where users could play a game and viewed by friends in real-time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.altaba.com/news-releases/news-release-details/yahoo-messenger-launches-imvironmentstm-next-generation-yahoo|title = Yahoo! Messenger Launches "Imvironments™" with Next Generation of Yahoo! Messenger Service &#124; Altaba Inc}}</ref> The [[Software:Messenger|Messenger]] application has a built in option to play computer games with people in a chat, including games like [[Software:Tetris|Tetris]] and Blackjack.

====Payments====
Though a relatively new feature, peer-to-peer payments are available on major messaging platforms. This functionality allows individuals to use one application for both communication and financial tasks. The lack of a service fee also makes messaging apps advantageous to financial applications. Major platforms such as Facebook messenger and [[Software:WeChat|WeChat]] already offer a payment feature, and this functionality is likely to become a standard amongst IM apps competing in the market.

==History==
{{Timeline of release years
| title = Release years of instant messengers
| 1988 = Internet Relay Chat
| 1996 = ICQ
| 1997 = AIM
| 1998 = Yahoo! Messenger
| 1999 = XMPP<br/>MSN Messenger
| 2003 = Xfire
| 2009 = WhatsApp
| 2010 = Kik Messenger
| 2011 = Facebook Messenger<br/>Snapchat
| 2013 = Telegram
| 2014 = Facebook buys WhatsApp<br/>Signal
| 2015 = Discord
}}
[[File:PLATO-Talkomatic.png|thumb|2014 recreation screenshot of the original Talkomatic program, released in 1973, on the PLATO system (on an orange plasma display)]]
Though the term dates from the 1990s, instant messaging predates the Internet, first appearing on multi-user [[Operating system|operating system]]s like [[Software:Compatible Time-Sharing System|Compatible Time-Sharing System]] (CTSS) and Multiplexed Information and Computing Service ([[Software:Multics|Multics]])<ref>{{cite book |last=Fetter |first=Mirko |date=2019 |title=New Concepts for Presence and Availability in Ubiquitous and Mobile Computing |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=knqIDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22ctss%22+%22write+command%22&pg=PA38 |publisher=[[Organization:University of Bamberg|University of Bamberg]] Press |page=38 |isbn=9783863096236 |quote=The basic concept of sending instantaneously messages to logged in users came with ... CTSS ...}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Tom Van Vleck |url=http://www.multicians.org/thvv/mail-history.html |title=Instant Messaging on CTSS and Multics |publisher=Multicians.org |access-date=2012-05-11}}</ref> in the mid-1960s. Initially, some of these systems were used as notification systems for services like printing, but quickly were used to facilitate communication with other users logged into the same machine. CTSS facilitated communication via text message for up to 30 people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://towcenter.gitbooks.io/guide-to-chat-apps/content/introductionthe_dawn_of/a_brief_history.html|title=A Brief History of Chat Apps · Guide to Chat Apps|website=towcenter.gitbooks.io|access-date=2020-03-23}}</ref>

Parallel to instant messaging were early [[Social:Online chat|online chat]] facilities, the earliest of which was [[Software:Talkomatic|Talkomatic]] (1973) on the PLATO system, which allowed 5 people to chat simultaneously on a 512 x 512 plasma display (5 lines of text + 1 status line per person). During the [[Bulletin board system|bulletin board system]] (BBS) phenomenon that peaked during the 1980s, some systems incorporated chat features which were similar to instant messaging; Freelancin' Roundtable was one prime example. The first<ref>CompuServe Innovator Resigns After 25 Years, The Columbus Dispatch, May 11, 1996, p. 2F</ref> such general-availability commercial online chat service (as opposed to PLATO, which was educational) was the CompuServe CB Simulator in 1980,<ref>Wired and Inspired, The Columbus Dispatch (Business page), by Mike Pramik, November 12, 2000</ref> created by [[Company:CompuServe|CompuServe]] executive Alexander "Sandy" Trevor in Columbus, Ohio.

As networks developed, the protocols spread with the networks. Some of these used a [[Peer-to-peer|peer-to-peer]] protocol (e.g. [[Software:Talk|talk]], ntalk and ytalk), while others required peers to connect to a server (see talker and IRC). The [[Zephyr (protocol)|Zephyr Notification Service]] (still in use at some institutions) was invented at MIT's Project Athena in the 1980s to allow service providers to locate and send messages to users.

Early instant messaging programs were primarily [[Engineering:Real-time text|real-time text]], where characters appeared as they were typed. This includes the Unix [[Software:Talk|"talk"]] command line program, which was popular in the 1980s and early 1990s. Some BBS chat programs (i.e. [[Software:Celerity BBS|Celerity BBS]]) also used a similar interface. Modern implementations of real-time text also exist in instant messengers, such as AOL's Real-Time IM<ref>{{cite web |url=http://help.aol.com/help/microsites/microsite.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=223568 |title=AOL Instant Messenger's Real-Time IM feature |publisher=Help.aol.com |access-date=2012-05-11 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312102140/http://help.aol.com/help/microsites/microsite.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=223568 |archive-date=March 12, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> as an optional feature.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realjabber.org/real_time_text_demo.html |title=RealJabber.org's animation of real-time text |publisher=Realjabber.org |access-date=2012-05-11}}</ref>

[[File:Unix talk screenshot 01.png|thumb|Command-line Unix "talk", using a split screen [[User interface|user interface]], was popular in the 1980s and early 1990s.]]
In the latter half of the 1980s and into the early 1990s, the Quantum Link online service for [[Engineering:Commodore 64|Commodore 64]] computers offered user-to-user messages between concurrently connected customers, which they called "On-Line Messages" (or OLM for short), and later "FlashMail." Quantum Link later became America Online and made AOL Instant Messenger (AIM, discussed later). While the Quantum Link client software ran on a [[Engineering:Commodore 64|Commodore 64]], using only the Commodore's [[PETSCII]] text-graphics, the screen was visually divided into sections and OLMs would appear as a yellow bar saying "Message From:" and the name of the sender along with the message across the top of whatever the user was already doing, and presented a list of options for responding.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.qlinklives.org/qlink-old/liz1.jpg |title=Screenshot of a Quantum Link OLM |access-date=2012-05-11 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120619055644/http://www.qlinklives.org/qlink-old/liz1.jpg |archive-date=June 19, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> As such, it could be considered a type of [[Graphical user interface|graphical user interface]] (GUI), albeit much more primitive than the later [[Software:X Window System|Unix]], [[Software:Microsoft Windows|Windows]] and [[Engineering:Macintosh|Macintosh]] based GUI IM software. OLMs were what Q-Link called "Plus Services" meaning they charged an extra per-minute fee on top of the monthly Q-Link access costs.

Modern, Internet-wide, GUI-based messaging clients as they are known today, began to take off in the mid-1990s with PowWow, [[Software:ICQ|ICQ]], and AOL Instant Messenger. Similar functionality was offered by [[CU-SeeMe]] in 1992; though primarily an audio/video chat link, users could also send textual messages to each other. AOL later acquired Mirabilis, the authors of ICQ; establishing dominance in the instant messaging market.<ref name=":0" /> A few years later ICQ (then owned by AOL) was awarded two patents for instant messaging by the U.S. patent office. Meanwhile, other companies developed their own software; ([[Company:Excite (web portal)|Excite]], [[Software:MSN|MSN]], [[Company:Ubique|Ubique]], and [[Company:Yahoo!|Yahoo!]]), each with its own [[Proprietary protocol|proprietary protocol]] and client; users therefore had to run multiple client applications if they wished to use more than one of these networks. In 1998, IBM released IBM Lotus Sametime, a product based on technology acquired when IBM bought Haifa-based [[Company:Ubique|Ubique]] and Lexington-based Databeam.

In 2000, an [[Open-source software|open-source application]] and open standards-based protocol called Jabber was launched. The protocol was standardized under the name Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP). XMPP servers could act as gateways to other IM protocols, reducing the need to run multiple clients. Multi-protocol clients can use any of the popular IM protocols by using additional local libraries for each protocol. IBM Lotus Sametime's November 2007 release added IBM Lotus Sametime Gateway support for XMPP.

Video calling using a [[Webcam|webcam]] also started taking off during this time. Microsoft NetMeeting was one of the earliest, but [[Software:Skype|Skype]] released in 2003 was one of the first that focused on this features and brought it to a wider audience.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.historyofbranding.com/the-history-of-skype/|title = The History of Skype|date = 28 November 2018}}</ref>

By 2006, AIM controlled 52 percent of the instant messaging market, but rapidly declined shortly thereafter as the company struggled to compete with other services.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:Blackberry-Messenger-Logo.png|alt=, which was first released in 2005 was the first mobile messaging app and available exclusively on BlackBerry smartphones. Today it is known as BlackBerry Messenger Enterprise, a new version of BBM focusing mainly on business customers.|thumb|[[Software:BBM|BlackBerry Messenger]]]]
[[File:Facebook chat screenshot (English).png|thumb|150px|Facebook Chat, example of IM through a wider social network that became popular in the late 2000s]]
By 2010, instant messaging over the Web was in sharp decline in favor of messaging features on social networks.<ref name=bbc>{{cite news|last1=Kelly|first1=Jon|title=Instant messaging: This conversation is terminated|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8698174.stm|access-date=14 March 2018|agency=BBC|date=24 May 2010}}</ref> Social networking providers often offer IM abilities, for example Facebook Chat, while [[Company:Twitter|Twitter]] can be thought of as a [[Social:Web 2.0|Web 2.0]] instant messaging system. Similar server-side chat features are part of most dating websites, such as [[Software:OkCupid|OkCupid]] or Plenty of Fish. The former most popular IM platforms were terminated in later years, such as [[Software:AIM|AIM]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://help.aol.com/articles/aim-discontinued|title=AIM has been discontinued as of December 15, 2017|website=help.aol.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215023120/https://help.aol.com/articles/aim-discontinued|archive-date=15 December 2017}}</ref>

The popularity of instant messaging was soon revived with new services in the form of [[Mobile app|mobile app]]lications, notable examples of the time being [[Software:BlackBerry Messenger|BlackBerry Messenger]] (first released in 2005; today available as BlackBerry Messenger Enterprise)  and  [[Software:WhatsApp|WhatsApp]] (first released in 2009). Unlike previous IM applications, these newer ones usually ran only on mobile devices and coincided with the rising popularity of Internet-enabled [[Engineering:Smartphone|smartphone]]s; this led to IM surpassing [[SMS]] in message volume by 2013.<ref name=":0" /> By 2014, IM had more users than social networks.<ref>{{cite web|title=The rise of messaging platforms|url=https://chatbotnewsdaily.com/the-rise-of-messenger-platforms-and-its-legal-implications-62fe73355122|publisher=The Economist, via Chatbot News Daily|access-date=14 March 2018|date=2017-01-22}}</ref> In January 2015, the service WhatsApp alone accommodated 30 billion messages daily in comparison to about 20 billion for SMS.<ref name=":0" />

In 2016, Google introduced a new intelligent messaging app that incorporated [[Machine learning|machine learning]] technology called Allo.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2016-05-18-google-allo.html|title=Google's Allo puts AI in a messaging app|website=Engadget|date=18 May 2016 |language=en|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref> Google Allo was shut down on March 12, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schoon|first=Ben|date=2019-03-12|title=RIP: Google Allo dies today, a look back at the groundwork of Google Messages and RCS|url=https://9to5google.com/2019/03/12/rip-google-allo-history/|access-date=2022-02-03|website=9to5Google|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Interoperability ==
[[File:Pidgin Screenshot Ubuntu.png|thumb|200px|left|Pidgin's tabbed chat window in Linux]]

Standard complementary instant messaging applications offer functions like file transfer, contact list(s), the ability to hold several simultaneous conversations, etc. These may be all the functions that a small business needs, but larger organizations will require more sophisticated applications that can work together. The solution to finding applications capable of this is to use enterprise versions of instant messaging applications. These include titles like XMPP, Lotus Sametime, Microsoft Office Communicator, etc., which are often integrated with other enterprise applications such as workflow systems. These enterprise applications, or [[Enterprise application integration|enterprise application integration]] (EAI), are built to certain constraints, namely storing data in a common format.

There have been several attempts to create a unified standard for instant messaging: [[IETF]]'s [[Session Initiation Protocol]] (SIP) and [[SIMPLE (instant messaging protocol)|SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions]] (SIMPLE), Application Exchange (APEX), [[Instant Messaging and Presence Protocol]] (IMPP), the open [[XML]]-based Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), and [[Organization:Open Mobile Alliance|Open Mobile Alliance]]'s Instant Messaging and Presence Service developed specifically for mobile devices.

Most attempts at producing a unified standard for the major IM providers (AOL, [[Company:Yahoo!|Yahoo!]] and [[Company:Microsoft|Microsoft]]) have failed, and each continues to use its own [[Proprietary protocol|proprietary protocol]].

However, while discussions at IETF were stalled, {{wipe|Reuters}} signed the first inter-service provider connectivity agreement in September 2003. This agreement enabled AIM, ICQ and MSN Messenger users to talk with Reuters Messaging counterparts and vice versa. Following this, Microsoft, Yahoo! and AOL agreed to a deal in which Microsoft's Live Communications Server 2005 users would also have the possibility to talk to public instant messaging users. This deal established SIP/SIMPLE as a standard for protocol interoperability and established a connectivity fee for accessing public instant messaging groups or services.<!--“cloud(s)” is ambiguous marketing-buzz hype--> Separately, on October 13, 2005, Microsoft and Yahoo! announced that by the 3rd quarter of 2006 they would interoperate using SIP/SIMPLE, which was followed, in December 2005, by the AOL and [[Company:Google|Google]] strategic partnership deal in which [[Software:Google Talk|Google Talk]] users would be able to communicate with AIM and ICQ users provided they have an AIM account.

There are two ways to combine the many disparate protocols:
* Combine the many disparate protocols inside the IM ''[[Client (computing)|client application]]''.
* Combine the many disparate protocols inside the IM ''server'' application. This approach moves the task of communicating with the other services to the server. Clients need not know or care about other IM protocols. For example, LCS 2005 Public IM Connectivity. This approach is popular in XMPP servers; however, the so-called transport projects suffer the same [[Reverse engineering|reverse engineering]] difficulties as any other project involved with closed protocols or formats.

Some approaches allow organizations to deploy their own, private instant messaging network by enabling them to restrict access to the [[Server (computing)|server]] (often with the IM network entirely behind their [[Firewall (computing)|firewall]]) and administer user permissions. Other corporate messaging systems allow registered users to also connect from outside the corporation LAN, by using an encrypted, firewall-friendly, HTTPS-based protocol. Usually, a dedicated corporate IM server has several advantages, such as pre-populated contact lists, integrated authentication, and better security and privacy.

Certain networks have made changes to prevent them from being used by such multi-network IM clients. For example, Trillian had to release several revisions and [[Patch (computing)|patches]] to allow its users to access the MSN, AOL, and Yahoo! networks, after changes were made to these networks. The major IM providers usually cite the need for formal agreements, and [[Computer security|security]] concerns as reasons for making these changes.

The use of [[Proprietary protocol|proprietary protocol]]s has meant that many instant messaging networks have been incompatible and users have been unable to reach users on other networks.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://sameroom.io/chat-timeline.pdf|title=A Brief History of Chat Services|date=19 April 2023 |publisher=sameroom.io}}</ref> This may have allowed social networking with IM-like features and text messaging an opportunity to gain market share at the expense of IM.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8698174.stm | work=BBC News | title=The decline of instant messaging | date=May 24, 2010}}</ref>

In 2022, the European Union passed the Digital Markets Act, which largely came into effect in early 2023. Among other things, the legislation mandates certain interoperability between the largest messaging platforms in use in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Claburn |first=Thomas |title=EU mandated interoperable messaging not so simple: Paper |url=https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/29/eu_mandated_messaging_interop_paper/ |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=www.theregister.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Effects of IM on communication ==
Messaging applications have affected the way people communicate on their devices. A survey conducted by MetrixLabs showed that 63% of Baby Boomers, 63% of Generation X, and 67% of Generation Y said that they used messaging applications in place of texting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metrixlab.com/portfolio/messaging-apps-change-way-communicate/|title=How messaging apps change the way we communicate|website=MetrixLab|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref> A Facebook survey showed that 65% of people surveyed thought that messaging applications made group messaging easier.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://insights.fb.com/morethanamessage/|title=More Than a Message: The Evolution of Conversation|website=insights.fb.com|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref>

=== Effects on workplace communication ===
Messaging applications have also changed how people communicate in the workplace. Enterprise messaging applications like [[Software:Slack|Slack]], TeleMessage, Teamnote and Yammer allow companies to enforce policies on how employees message at work and ensure secure storage of sensitive data.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telemessage.com/text-messaging-apps-are-transforming-workplace-communications/|title=Text Messaging Apps Are Transforming Workplace Communications|website=TeleMessage|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref> Message applications allow employees to separate work information from their personal emails and texts.

Messaging applications may make workplace communication efficient, but they can also have consequences on productivity. A study at Slack showed on average, people spend 10 hours a day on Slack, which is about 67% more time than they spend using email.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://learn.g2.com/messaging-apps-affect-productivity|title=Are Messaging Apps at Work Affecting Team Productivity?|last=Kashyap|first=Vartika|website=learn.g2.com|language=en|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref>

=== IM language ===
Users sometimes make use of [[Internet slang|internet slang]] or text speak to abbreviate common words or expressions to quicken conversations or reduce keystrokes. The language has become widespread, with well-known expressions such as 'lol' translated over to face-to-face language.

Emotions are often expressed in shorthand, such as the abbreviation [[Social:LOL|LOL]], [[Internet slang|BRB and TTYL]]; respectively laugh(ing) out loud, be right back, and talk to you later.

Some, however, attempt to be more accurate with emotional expression over IM. Real time reactions such as (''chortle'') (''snort'') (''guffaw'') or (''eye-roll'') are becoming more popular. Also there are certain standards that are being introduced into mainstream conversations including, '#' indicates the use of sarcasm in a statement and '*' which indicates a spelling mistake and/or grammatical error in the prior message, followed by a correction.<ref>[http://wiki.networkdictionary.com/index.php/Instant_Messenging instant messaging] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212114903/http://wiki.networkdictionary.com/index.php/Instant_Messenging |date=February 12, 2010 }}, NetworkDictionary.com.</ref>

== Business application ==
Instant messaging has proven to be similar to personal computers, email, and the [[World Wide Web]], in that its adoption for use as a business communications medium was driven primarily by individual employees using consumer software at work, rather than by formal mandate or provisioning by corporate information technology departments. Tens of millions of the consumer IM accounts in use are being used for business purposes by employees of companies and other organizations.

In response to the demand for business-grade IM and the need to ensure security and legal compliance, a new type of instant messaging, called "Enterprise Instant Messaging" ("EIM") was created when [[Company:Lotus Software|Lotus Software]] launched IBM Lotus Sametime in 1998. Microsoft followed suit shortly thereafter with [[Software:Microsoft Exchange Server|Microsoft Exchange]] Instant Messaging, later created a new platform called Microsoft Office Live Communications Server, and released Office Communications Server 2007 in October 2007. [[Company:Oracle Corporation|Oracle Corporation]] also jumped into the market with its [[Software:Oracle Beehive|Oracle Beehive]] unified collaboration software.<ref name="Oracle Beehive offers enterprise instant messaging">{{cite web | url=http://www.cmswire.com/cms/enterprise-20/oracle-buzzes-with-updates-for-its-beehive-collaboration-platform-004538.php | title=Oracle Buzzes with Updates for its Beehive Collaboration Platform | publisher=CMSWire| date=May 12, 2018 | access-date=October 16, 2018 }}</ref> Both IBM Lotus and Microsoft have introduced federation between their EIM systems and some of the public IM networks so that employees may use one interface to both their internal EIM system and their contacts on AOL, MSN, and Yahoo. As of 2010, leading EIM platforms include IBM Lotus Sametime, Microsoft Office Communications Server, Jabber XCP and Cisco Unified Presence.{{third-party inline|date=July 2016}} Industry-focused EIM platforms such as Reuters Messaging and [[Company:Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg Messaging]] also provide IM abilities to financial services companies.{{third-party inline|date=July 2016}}

The adoption of IM across corporate networks outside of the control of IT organizations creates risks and liabilities for companies who do not effectively manage and support IM use. Companies implement specialized IM archiving and security products and services to mitigate these risks and provide safe, secure, productive instant messaging abilities to their employees. IM is increasingly becoming a feature of [[Software:Enterprise software|enterprise software]] rather than a stand-alone application.

IM products can usually be categorised into two types: Enterprise Instant Messaging (EIM)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://im.about.com/od/imforbusiness/a/topbizims.htm |title=Better Business IMs - Business Technology |publisher=Im.about.com |date=2012-04-10 |access-date=2012-05-11 |archive-date=2011-04-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430235442/http://im.about.com/od/imforbusiness/a/topbizims.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Consumer Instant Messaging (CIM).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://im.about.com/b/2008/03/15/reader-questions-im-privacy-at-work.htm |title=Reader Questions IM Privacy at Work |publisher=Im.about.com |date=2008-03-15 |access-date=2012-05-11 |archive-date=2010-08-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825135258/http://im.about.com/b/2008/03/15/reader-questions-im-privacy-at-work.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Enterprise solutions use an internal IM server, however this is not always feasible, particularly for smaller businesses with limited budgets. The second option, using a CIM provides the advantage of being inexpensive to implement and has little need for investing in new hardware or server software.

For corporate use, encryption and conversation archiving are usually regarded as important features due to security concerns.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.schneier.com/cryptography/paperfiles/worldwide-survey-of-encryption-products.pdf|title=Multi-Encrypting Messengers – in: A Worldwide Survey of Encryption Products|last1=Schneier |first1=Bruce |last2=Seidel |first2=Kathleen |last3=Vijayakumar |first3=Saranya |date=11 February 2016|access-date=28 March 2017}}</ref> There are also a bunch of open source encrypting messengers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sf.net/projects/goldbug/files/bigseven-crypto-audit.pdf|title=BIG SEVEN Study, open source crypto-messengers to be compared - or: Comprehensive Confidentiality Review & Audit: Encrypting E-Mail-Client & Secure Instant Messenger, Descriptions, tests and analysis reviews of 20 functions of the applications based on the essential fields and methods of evaluation of the 8 major international audit manuals for IT security investigations including 38 figures and 87 tables|last1=Adams |first1=David |last2=Maier |first2=Ann-Kathrin |date=6 June 2016|access-date=22 March 2017}}</ref> Sometimes the use of different operating systems in organizations requires use of software that supports more than one platform. For example, many software companies use [[Software:Windows|Windows]] in administration departments but have software developers who use [[Software:Linux|Linux]].

==Comparison to SMS==
[[File:Whatsapp chatting outdoor 20180808.jpg|thumb|A user of a mobile device communicating with an instant messenger rather than SMS]]
[[SMS]] is the acronym for "short message service" and allows mobile phone users to send text messages without an Internet connection, while instant messaging provides similar services through an Internet connection.<ref name=":0"/> SMS was a much more dominant form of communication before smartphones became widely used globally. While SMS relied on traditional paid telephone services, instant messaging apps on mobiles were available for free or a minor data charge. In 2012 SMS volume peaked, and in 2013 chat apps surpassed SMS in global message volume.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/4/29/4281618/chat-apps-surpass-sms-messaging-volume-study | title=Chat apps surpass SMS for the first time, study finds | date=29 April 2013 }}</ref>

Easier group messaging was another advantage of smartphone messaging apps and also contributed to their adoption. Before the introduction of messaging apps, smartphone users could only participate in single-person interactions via mobile voice calls or SMS. With the introduction of messaging apps, the group chat functionality allows all the members to see an entire thread of everyone's responses. Members can also respond directly to each other, rather than having to go through the member who started the group message, to relay the information.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ling|first1=Rich|last2=Lai|first2=Chih-Hui|date=2016-10-01|title=Microcoordination 2.0: Social Coordination in the Age of Smartphones and Messaging Apps|url=https://academic.oup.com/joc/article/66/5/834/4082414|journal=Journal of Communication|language=en|volume=66|issue=5|pages=834–856|doi=10.1111/jcom.12251|issn=0021-9916}}</ref>

However, SMS still remains popular in the United States because it is usually included free in monthly phone bundles.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/487102/why-whatsapp-bombed-in-the-us-while-snapchat-and-kik-blew-up/|title=Why WhatsApp bombed in the US, while Snapchat and Kik blew up|last=Horwitz|first=Josh|website=Quartz|date=25 August 2015 |language=en|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref> While SMS volumes in some countries like Denmark, Spain and Singapore dropped up to two-thirds from 2011 to 2013, in the United States SMS use only dropped by about one quarter.<ref name=":4" />

== Security and archiving ==
Crackers (malicious or [[Black hat (computer security)|black hat]] hackers) have consistently used IM networks as vectors for delivering [[Phishing|phishing]] attempts, [[Drive-by download|drive-by URL]]s, and virus-laden file attachments from 2004 to the present, with over 1100 discrete attacks listed by the IM Security Center<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imsecuritycenter.com/|title=IM Security Center|access-date=May 13, 2007|archive-date=October 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022173810/http://www.imsecuritycenter.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> in 2004–2007. Hackers use two methods of delivering malicious code through IM: delivery of viruses, [[Trojan horse (computing)|trojan horse]]s, or [[Spyware|spyware]] within an infected file, and the use of "socially engineered" text with a web address that entices the recipient to click on a URL connecting him or her to a website that then downloads malicious code.

Viruses, [[Computer worm|computer worm]]s, and trojans usually propagate by sending themselves rapidly through the infected user's [[Engineering:Contact list|contact list]]. An effective attack using a poisoned [[URL]] may reach tens of thousands of users in a short period when each user's contact list receives messages appearing to be from a trusted friend. The recipients click on the web address, and the entire cycle starts again. Infections may range from nuisance to criminal, and are becoming more sophisticated each year.

IM connections sometimes occur in [[Plain text|plain text]], making them vulnerable to eavesdropping. Also, IM client software often requires the user to expose open [[User Datagram Protocol|UDP]] ports to the world, raising the threat posed by potential security vulnerabilities.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Why just say no to IM at work|website=Blog.anta.net|date=October 29, 2009|url=http://blog.anta.net/2009/10/28/why-just-say-no-to-im-at-work/|issn=1797-1993|access-date=October 29, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726135708/http://blog.anta.net/2009/10/28/why-just-say-no-to-im-at-work/|archive-date=July 26, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In the early 2000s, a new class of IT security provider emerged to provide remedies for the risks and liabilities faced by corporations who chose to use IM for business communications. The IM security providers created new products to be installed in corporate networks for the purpose of archiving, content-scanning, and security-scanning IM traffic moving in and out of the corporation. Similar to the e-mail filtering vendors, the IM security providers focus on the risks and liabilities described above.

With rapid adoption of IM in the workplace, demand for IM security products began to grow in the mid-2000s. By 2007, the preferred platform for the purchase of security software had become the "[[Computer appliance|computer appliance]]", according to IDC, who estimated that by 2008, 80% of [[Network security|network security]] products would be delivered via an appliance.<ref>Chris Christiansen and Rose Ryan, International Data Corp., "IDC Telebriefing: Threat Management Security Appliance Review and Forecast"</ref>

By 2014 however, the level of safety offered by instant messengers was still extremely poor. According to a scorecard made by the [[Organization:Electronic Frontier Foundation|Electronic Frontier Foundation]], only 7 out of 39 instant messengers received a perfect score, whereas the most popular instant messengers at the time only attained a score of 2 out of 7.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2014/nov/06/secure-messaging-app-eff-imessage-snapchat|title=How secure is your favourite messaging app? Today's Open Thread|last=Dredge|first=Stuart|newspaper=the Guardian|access-date=May 16, 2015|date=2014-11-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/secure-messaging-scorecard|title=Secure Messaging Scorecard|work=Electronic Frontier Foundation|access-date=May 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115054343/https://www.eff.org/secure-messaging-scorecard|archive-date=November 15, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> A number of studies have shown that IM services are quite vulnerable for providing user privacy.<ref>{{cite conference|last1=Saleh|first1=Saad|title=IM Session Identification by Outlier Detection in Cross-correlation Functions|conference=Conference on Information Sciences and Systems (CISS)|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274635819|doi=10.13140/RG.2.1.3524.5602|year=2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite conference|last1=Saleh|first1=Saad|title=Breaching IM Session Privacy Using Causality|conference=IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM)|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269393346|doi=10.13140/2.1.1112.2244|date=December 2014}}</ref>

=== Encryption ===
[[Encryption]] is the primary method that messaging apps use to protect user's data privacy and security. SMS messages are not encrypted, making them insecure, as the content of each SMS message is visible to mobile carriers and governments and can be intercepted by a third party.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=http://social.techcrunch.com/2018/12/25/cybersecurity-101-guide-encrypted-messaging-apps/|title=Cybersecurity 101: How to choose and use an encrypted messaging app|website=TechCrunch|date=25 December 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref> SMS messages also leak [[Metadata|metadata]], or information about the message that is not the message content itself, such as phone numbers of the sender and recipient, which can identify the people involved in the conversation.<ref name=":5" /> SMS messages can also be spoofed and the sender of the message can be edited to impersonate another person.<ref name=":5" />

Messaging applications on the market that use [[End-to-end encryption|end-to-end encryption]] include [[Software:Signal|Signal]], [[Software:WhatsApp|WhatsApp]], [[Software:Wire|Wire]] and [[IMessage|iMessage]].<ref name=":5" />{{Better source needed|date=January 2021}} Applications that have been criticized for lacking or poor encryption methods include [[Software:Telegram|Telegram]] and [[Software:Confide|Confide]], as both are prone to error or not having encryption enabled by default.<ref name=":5" />

=== Compliance risks ===
In addition to the malicious code threat, the use of instant messaging at work also creates a risk of non-compliance to laws and regulations governing use of electronic communications in businesses.

In the United States alone there are over 10,000 laws and regulations related to electronic messaging and records retention.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid5_gci906152,00.html|title=ESG compliance report excerpt, Part 1: Introduction|access-date=May 13, 2007|archive-date=July 16, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716003433/http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/tip/ESG-compliance-report-excerpt-Part-1-Introduction|url-status=dead}}</ref> The better-known of these include the Sarbanes–Oxley Act, [[Medicine:Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act|HIPAA]], and SEC 17a-3.

Clarification from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) was issued to member firms in the financial services industry in December, 2007, noting that "electronic communications", "email", and "electronic correspondence" may be used interchangeably and can include such forms of electronic messaging as ''instant messaging'' and text messaging.<ref>FINRA, Regulatory Notice 07-59, Supervision of Electronic Communications, December 2007</ref> Changes to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, effective December 1, 2006, created a new category for electronic records which may be requested during [[Discovery (law)|discovery]] in legal proceedings.

Most nations also regulate use of electronic messaging and electronic records retention in similar fashion as the United States. The most common regulations related to IM at work involve the need to produce archived business communications to satisfy government or judicial requests under law. Many instant messaging communications fall into the category of business communications that must be archived and retrievable.

== User base ==
As of March 2022, the most used messaging apps worldwide include: [[Software:Signal|Signal]] with 100 million, [[Software:Line|Line]] with 217 million, [[Software:Viber|Viber]] with 260 million, [[Software:Telegram|Telegram]] with 700 million, [[Software:WeChat|WeChat]] with 1.2 billion, [[Software:Facebook Messenger|Facebook Messenger]] with 1.3 billion, and [[Software:WhatsApp|WhatsApp]] with 2.0 billion users.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/|title=Messaging App Usage Statistics Around the World|date=2020-02-12|website=MessengerPeople|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref> There are 25 countries in the world where WhatsApp messenger is not the market leader in messaging apps, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Philippines, and China.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/hootsuite/status/973397016985337856|title=Hootsuite 🦉 on Twitter: "There are now only 25 countries around the world where a Facebook-owned app isn't the top messenger platform..." / Twitter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.hootsuite.com/11-people-join-social-every-second/|title=11 New People Join Social Media Every Second (And Other Impressive Stats)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130041759/blog.hootsuite.com/11-people-join-social-every-second/|archive-date=2018-01-30}}</ref>

Messaging apps have varying levels of adoption in different countries. As of April 2022:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.similarweb.com/corp/blog/research/market-research/worldwide-messaging-apps/|title=Most Popular Messaging Apps by Country - Similarweb}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://respond.io/blog/top-messaging-apps|title=Most Popular Messaging Apps: Top Messaging Apps 2021 - Respond.io}}</ref>
*[[Software:WhatsApp|WhatsApp]] by [[Company:Meta Platforms|Meta Platforms]] is the most popular messaging app in several countries in South America, Western Europe, Africa, Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. 
*[[Software:Facebook Messenger|Facebook Messenger]] by [[Company:Meta Platforms|Meta Platforms]] is the most popular messaging app in North America, Northern Europe, some Central Europe countries, and Oceania. 
*[[Software:Telegram|Telegram]] is the most popular messaging app in several Eastern Europe countries, and the second preferred option after WhatsApp in several countries in Western Europe, Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Central and South America. 
*[[Software:Viber|Viber]] by [[Company:Rakuten|Rakuten]] has a strong presence in Central and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Ukraine, Russia). It is also moderately successful in Philippines and Vietnam.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/01/29/2073733/viber-usage-spikes-pandemic-strikes|title=Viber usage spikes as pandemic strikes - Philstar.com|website=The Philippine STAR }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/12/18/viber-expands-foothold-in-the-philippines-in-2021/|title=Viber expands foothold in the Philippines in 2021 - BusinessMirror|website=BusinessMirror |date=17 December 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://e.vnexpress.net/news/trend/when-chatting-apps-can-be-overwhelming-4504110.html|title=When chatting apps can be overwhelming - VnExpress International}}</ref>
*[[Software:Line|Line]] by Naver Corporation is used widely in some countries in Asia (Japan, Taiwan, Thailand). 
*Messaging apps that are predominately used in only one country include: [[Software:KakaoTalk|KakaoTalk]] in South Korea, Zalo in Vietnam, [[Software:WeChat|WeChat]] in China, and [[Software:Imo.im|imo]] in Qatar. 
*While not the dominant app for one-to-one messaging in any country, [[Software:Discord|Discord]] is commonly used among online communities due to its ability to support chats with a large amount of members, topic-based channels, and cloud-based storage.

===More than 100 million users===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Instant messenger client
! Company
! data-sort-type="number" | Usage 
|-
| [[Software:Discord|Discord]]
| Discord Inc.
| 250 million users (May 2019)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/discord-slack-for-gamers-hits-its-fourth-year-at-250-million-registered-users/ |title=Discord, Slack for gamers, tops 250 million registered users |work=CNET |date=13 May 2019 |access-date=26 July 2021 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Software:EBuddy|eBuddy]] XMS
| eBuddy
| 250 million users (September 2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/09/21/ebuddy-blows-through-250-million-user-accounts-android-up-300/|title=eBuddy Blows Through 250 Million User Accounts, Android Up 300% – TechCrunch|website=techcrunch.com|date=21 September 2011 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Software:Facebook Messenger|Facebook Messenger]]
| [[Company:Meta Platforms|Meta Platforms]]
| 900 million active users (April 2016),<ref>[http://www.statista.com/statistics/417295/facebook-messenger-monthly-active-users/ 900 million active users]. Retrieved 7 April 2016</ref> 1.3 billion monthly active users (September 2017)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Facebook Messenger: monthly active users 2017|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/417295/facebook-messenger-monthly-active-users/|access-date=2020-08-06|website=Statista|language=en}}</ref>
|-
|Google [[Software:Google Meet|Meet]]/[[Software:Google Chat|Chat]]
|Google LLC
|{{dunno}}
|-
| [[IMessage|iMessage]]
| [[Company:Apple Inc.|Apple Inc.]]
| 1300 million users (September 2017)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/information-facebooks-messenger-has-overtaken-apples-imessage-2019-01-17|title=Information: Facebook's Messenger has overtaken Apple's iMessage|website=marketwatch.com|date=17 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808181717/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/information-facebooks-messenger-has-overtaken-apples-imessage-2019-01-17 |archive-date=2019-08-08 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Software:Kik Messenger|Kik Messenger]]
| Kik Interactive
| 300 million users (May 2016)<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/11/kik-already-has-over-6000-bots-reaching-300-million-registered-users/ | title = Kik already has over 6,000 bots reaching 300 million registered users | work = Tech Crunch | date = 11 May 2016}}</ref>
|-
|[[Software:Line|Line]]
|Naver Corporation
|217 million monthly active users (2016)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/327292/number-of-monthly-active-line-app-users/|title=LINE: number of monthly active users 2016 {{!}} Statistic|website=Statista|language=en|access-date=2017-04-22}}</ref>
|-
|[[Engineering:Rich Communication Services|RCS]] (protocol)
|GSM Association
|1000 million monthly active users (November 2023)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-30 |title=New features to celebrate Messages' 1 billion RCS users |url=https://blog.google/products/android/7-new-messages-features/ |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=Google |language=en-us}}</ref>
|-
|[[Software:Signal|Signal]]
|[[Organization:Signal Foundation|Signal Foundation]]
|100 million 2022 [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thoughtcrime.securesms]
|-
| [[Software:Skype|Skype]]
| Microsoft Corporation
| 300 million monthly active users (5 June 2019),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://expandedramblings.com/index.php/skype-statistics/|title=26 Amazing Skype Statistics and Facts (2019)|website=expandedramblings|date=22 May 2014|language=en|access-date=2019-09-06}}</ref> 1.55 billion registered users (2019),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/820384/estimated-number-skype-users-worldwide/|title=Number of estimated Skype users registered worldwide from 2009 to 2024|website=statista|language=en|access-date=2019-02-21}}</ref> 4.9 million daily active users (2 March 2014),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://expandedramblings.com/index.php/skype-statistics/|title=26 Amazing Skype Statistics and Facts (2019)|website=expandedramblings|date=22 May 2014|language=en|access-date=2019-09-06}}</ref> 34 million peak online (February 2012).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.skype.com/en/2012/02/34_million_people_concurrently.html|title=34 Million People Concurrently Online on Skype – - Skype Blogs|work=Skype Blogs|access-date=May 16, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118164742/http://blogs.skype.com/en/2012/02/34_million_people_concurrently.html|archive-date=November 18, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
|-
|[[Software:Snapchat|Snapchat]]
|[[Company:Snap Inc.|Snap Inc.]]
|301 million monthly active users (2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/626835/number-of-monthly-active-snapchat-users/|title=Number of monthly active Snapchat users 2013-2016|website=Statista}}</ref>
|-
|[[Software:Telegram|Telegram]]
|Telegram Messenger LLP
|700 million monthly active users (June 2022),<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-21 |title=700 Million Users and Telegram Premium |url=https://telegram.org/blog/700-million-and-premium |access-date=2022-07-08 |website=Telegram}}</ref> 500 million monthly active users (January 2021)<ref>{{Cite tweet|author=Telegram Messenger|user=telegram|number=1349014065931284480|title=Telegram surpassed 500 million active users.|date=January 12, 2021}}</ref> over 1 billion registered users (2021)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/30/telegram-tops-1-billion-downloads/|title=Telegram tops 1 billion downloads|website=TechCrunch|date=30 August 2021 |language=en|access-date=2021-08-30}}</ref>
|-
|[[Software:Tencent QQ|Tencent QQ]]
|Tencent Holdings Limited
|823 million monthly active users (July 2019)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/258749/most-popular-global-mobile-messenger-apps/|title=Mind-Blowing Viber Statistics for 2019|website=statista|language=en|access-date=2019-10-08}}</ref>
|-
|[[Software:Viber|Viber]]
|[[Company:Rakuten|Rakuten]]
|260 million monthly active users (January 2019),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://99firms.com/blog/viber-statistics/|title=Mind-Blowing Viber Statistics for 2019|website=99firms|language=en|access-date=2019-03-05}}</ref> 1.169 billion registered users (March 2020)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/316414/viber-messenger-registered-users/|title=Number of unique Viber user IDs from June 2011 to March 2020|website=statista|language=en|access-date=2020-09-11}}</ref>
|-
|[[Software:WeChat|WeChat]]
|[[Company:Tencent|Tencent Holdings Limited]]
|1300 million monthly active users (September 2022) <ref>{{Cite web |last=Shreya |date=2022-09-05 |title=WeChat Statistics 2022 - How Many Users Does WeChat Have? |url=https://www.adchina.io/wechat-statistics-2022-how-many-users-does-wechat-have/ |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=AdChina.io |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Number of WeChat Users [Updated Feb 2023] {{!}} Oberlo |url=https://my.oberlo.com/statistics/number-of-wechat-users |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=my.oberlo.com |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Software:WhatsApp|WhatsApp]]
|[[Company:Meta Platforms|Meta Platforms]]
|1200 million monthly active users (January 2017),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/260819/number-of-monthly-active-whatsapp-users/|title=WhatsApp: number of users 2013-2017 {{!}} Statista|website=Statista|language=en|access-date=2017-04-21}}</ref> 2000 million registered users (12 February 2020),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.whatsapp.com/10000666/Two-Billion-Users%E2%80%94Connecting-the-World-Privately?lang=en|title=Two Billion Users -- Connecting the World Privately|website=blog.whatsapp.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-14}}</ref> 500 million daily active users (March 2019).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/730306/whatsapp-status-dau/|title=Number of daily active WhatsApp Status users from 1st quarter 2017 to 1st quarter 2019|website=statista|language=en|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref>
|-
| [[XMPP]] (Protocol used by multiple clients)
| [[Organization:XMPP Standards Foundation|XMPP Standards Foundation]]
| 1200+ million (September 2011)<ref>This number is based on the number of Facebook accounts ({{cite web|url=http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=409753352130 |title=500 Million Stories &#124; Facebook |publisher=Blog.facebook.com |access-date=2013-07-11}}) Google talk and WLM accounts. ({{cite web|url=http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_live/b/windowslive/archive/2011/12/14/anyone-can-build-a-windows-live-messenger-client-with-open-standards-access-via-xmpp.aspx |title=Anyone can build a Messenger client—with open standards access via XMPP |publisher=Windowsteamblog.com |access-date=2013-07-11}}) Further, as there are many other open source servers (some also with companies behind it), the number provided is probably too small. However, many of these servers are not federated, and so, do not actually interact as is usually expected of XMPP servers.</ref>
|}

===Other platforms===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Instant messenger client
! Company
! data-sort-type="number" | Usage 
|-
| [[Software:BlackBerry Messenger|BlackBerry Messenger]]
| [[Company:BlackBerry Limited|BlackBerry]]
| 91 million total users (October 2014)<ref>[http://telecomtalk.info/91-million-active-bbm-users/123523/ 91 million Active BBM Users]. Retrieved 6 March 2015</ref>
|-
| [[Software:Element|Element]]
| New Vector
| 20+ million users (November 2020)<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title=Element group video messenger {{!}} Group chat {{!}} Team communication productivity app {{!}} Matrix open network {{!}} Decentralized end-to-end encryption|url=https://element.io/|access-date=2020-11-11|website=element.io}}</ref>
|-
| [[Software:Gadu-Gadu|Gadu-Gadu]]
| GG Network S.A.
| 6.5 million users active daily (majority in {{wipe|Poland}}) (June 2010)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naspers.com/index.cfm?content=7109 |title=Brands &#124; Gadu Gadu |publisher=Naspers.com |access-date=2010-06-29 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320043038/http://www.naspers.com/index.cfm?content=7109 |archive-date=March 20, 2009 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Software:IBM Sametime|IBM Sametime]]
| [[Company:IBM|IBM Corp.]]
| 20 million users (February 2006)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/ibm-instant-messaging-links-to-aim-yahoo-google/|title=IBM instant messaging links to AIM, Yahoo, Google|agency=Reuters|website=CNET|language=en|access-date=2019-11-06}}</ref>
|-
| [[Software:ICQ|ICQ]]
| ICQ LLC.
| 11 million total users (July 2014)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-29/icq-messenger-is-growing-for-the-first-time-in-years.html|title=ICQ Messenger Is Growing for the First Time in Years|last=Speed|first=Ilya Khrennikov 2014-07-29T18:43:55Z- Comments Email Print|work=Bloomberg|access-date=2017-04-04}}</ref>
|-
| [[Company:IMVU|IMVU]]
| IMVU, inc.
| 1 million users (June 2007)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imvu.com/catalog/web_info.php?section=Info&topic=aboutus|title=IMVU Information|access-date=May 16, 2015}}</ref>
|-
|IRC (protocol)
|
| 0.4 million users (2013)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/01/06/irc-has-lost-60-of-its-users-since-2003-but-life-as-a-robot-is-just-beginning|title=IRC Has Lost 60% of Its Users Since 2003, but Life as a Robot is Just Beginning|date=6 January 2013 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Software:Paltalk|Paltalk]]
| Paltalk.com
| 5.5 million monthly unique users (August 2013)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/06/17/prism-paltalk/| title=PalTalk: It Was "Flattering" To Be Included In The PRISM Slidedeck | work=TechCrunch | date=17 June 2013 | access-date=2013-08-06 | quote=PalTalk, a profitable group video chat site that's been around for more than a decade and has about 5.5 million monthly uniques [...]}}</ref>
|}

===Closed services and such with unclear activity===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Instant messenger client
! Company
! data-sort-type="number" | Usage 
|-
| AIM
| AOL, Inc
| Closed in December 2017
|-
| [[Software:Hike Messenger|Hike Messenger]]
| Hike Messenger
| Closed in January 2021
|-
| MXit
| MXit Lifestyle (Pty) Ltd.<ref>MXit federates with the Google Talk network.</ref>
| Closed in September 2016
|-
| RTC
| rtcim.com
| Closed in ???. (10 million users)
|-
| [[Software:Windows Live Messenger|Windows Live Messenger]]
| Microsoft Corporation
| Closed in April 2013, China in October 2014
|-
| [[Software:Xfire|Xfire]]
| Xfire, Inc.
| Closed in June 2015
|-
| [[Software:Yahoo! Messenger|Yahoo! Messenger]]
| Yahoo!, Inc.
| Closed in July 2018
|}

== See also ==
===Terms===
*{{annotated link|Social:Ambient awareness}}
*{{annotated link|Communication protocol}}
*{{annotated link|Social:Mass collaboration}}
*{{annotated link|Message-oriented middleware}}
*{{annotated link|Social:Social media}}
*{{annotated link|SMS}}
*{{annotated link|Unified communications}} / Messaging

===Lists===
* [[Software:Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients|Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients]]
* [[Comparison of instant messaging protocols]]
* [[Social:Comparison of user features of messaging platforms|Comparison of user features of messaging platforms]]

===Other===
*{{annotated link|Code Shikara}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* {{curlie|Computers/Internet/Chat/Instant_Messaging|Instant Messaging}}

{{Instant messaging}}
{{Computer-mediated communication}}
{{Blog topics}}
{{Mobile phones}}

[[Category:Instant messaging| ]]
[[Category:Internet culture]]
[[Category:Social media]]

{{Sourceattribution|Instant messaging}}