Editing Pidgin (software) (section)

{{Short description|Open-source multi-platform instant messaging client}}
{{Redirect|Gaim}}
{{About|the instant messenger|coding|pidgin code}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Pidgin
| logo = File:pidgin.svg
| logo size = 100px
| logo alt = Pidgin logo
| screenshot = Pidgin 2.10.9.png
| screenshot size = 250px
| screenshot alt = Pidgin's buddy list
| caption = Pidgin's buddy list window in [[Trisquel]]
| collapsible = yes
| developer = 
| released = {{start date and age|1998|12|31}} (as Gaim)<!-- per archived User Guide -->
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q71380|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q71380|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q71380|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
| latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q71380|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]] ([[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]], [[Perl]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]], [[Tcl]] are used for [[Plug-in (computing)|plugin]]s)
| platform = [[Linux]]<br/>[[macOS]] (unofficial)<br/>[[Microsoft Windows]]<br/>[[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]](unofficial)<br/>[[FreeBSD]] <br/>[[NetBSD]](unofficial)<br/>[[OpenBSD]](unofficial)
| language = Multiple languages<ref>[https://pidgin.im/about/ About Pidgin: Supported languages]</ref>
| genre = [[Instant messaging]] [[Client (computing)|client]]
| license = [[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]
}}

{{Update|reason=most of the sources cited by this article are over ten years old and it's unclear how true most of this information still is as of 2024|date=August 2024}}

'''Pidgin''' (formerly named '''Gaim''') is a [[free and open-source software|free and open-source]] [[multi-platform]] [[instant messaging]] client, based on a [[library (computing)|library]] named '''libpurple''' that has support for many instant messaging [[Protocol (computing)|protocols]], allowing the user to simultaneously log in to various services from a single application, with a single interface for both popular and obsolete protocols (from [[AIM (software)|AIM]] to [[Discord]]), thus avoiding the hassle of having to deal with new software for each device and protocol.

{{As of|2007}}, the number of Pidgin users was estimated to be over three million.<ref>[http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1641709366;pp;1;fp;2;fpid;4 "Luke Schierer discusses Pidgin, Open source and life"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208121742/http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1641709366;pp;1;fp;2;fpid;4 |date=February 8, 2008 }}. [[PC World (magazine)#Countries|PC World]] Australia, October 10, 2007.</ref>

Pidgin is widely used for its [[Off-the-Record Messaging]] (OTR) plugin, which offers [[end-to-end encryption]]. For this reason it is included in the privacy and anonymity focused operating system [[Tails (operating system)|Tails]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tails.boum.org/doc/anonymous_internet/pidgin/index.en.html |title=Chatting with Pidgin and OTR |website=Tails |access-date=2020-07-22}}</ref>