Editing ICQ

{{Short description|Cross-platform instant messaging system and VoIP client}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox software
| name = ICQ
| logo = ICQNewlogo.svg
| logo size = 150px
| logo caption = ICQ logo, debuted in 2020
| screenshot = 
| caption = 
| collapsible = no
| author = [[Mirabilis (company)|Mirabilis]]
| developer = {{ubl | [[Mirabilis (company)|Mirabilis]] (1996–1998) | [[AOL]] (1998–2010)| [[VK (company)|VK]] (2010–2024)}}
| released = {{Start date and age|1996|11|15}}
| discontinued = yes
| latest release version = 10.0.46867 (May 27, 2022)
| ver layout = simple
| latest release date = 
| programming language = {{ubl | [[C++]] ([[Linux]]/{{zwsp}}[[Windows]]/{{zwsp}}[[MacOS]]) | [[Objective-C]]/[[Swift (programming language)|Swift]] ([[iOS]]) | [[Java (programming language)|Java]]/[[Kotlin (programming language)|Kotlin]] ([[Android (operating system)|Android]])}}
| platform = {{hlist | [[iOS]] | [[Android (operating system)|Android]] | [[Windows]] | [[MacOS]] | [[web application]] | [[Linux]] | [[Windows Phone]] | [[Windows Mobile]] | [[Java (software platform)|Java]] | [[Symbian OS]] | [[Symbian S60]] | [[BlackBerry OS]] | [[Bada (operating system)|Bada]] | [[Amazon Fire]] | [[Palm Pilot]] | [[iMode]]}}
| genre = [[Instant messaging]]
| license = [[Proprietary license|Proprietary]]
| language = {{hlist | Russian | English | Hebrew | Portuguese | Ukrainian | German | Czech | French | Chinese | Turkish | Spanish | Arabic | Vietnamese}}
| website = {{URL|icq.com}}
}}

'''ICQ''' was a cross-platform [[instant messaging]] (IM) and [[VoIP]] client founded in June 1996 by Yair Goldfinger, Sefi Vigiser, Amnon Amir, Arik Vardi, and Arik's father, Yossi Vardi. The name ICQ [[gramogram|derives from]] the English phrase "I Seek You".<ref name="Time Warner2001" /> Originally developed by the [[State of Israel|Israeli]] company [[Mirabilis (company)|Mirabilis]] in 1996, the client was bought by [[AOL]] in 1998, and then by [[Mail.Ru Group]] (now VK) in 2010.<ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100428005962/en/Digital-Sky-Technologies-Acquire-AOL%E2%80%99s-ICQ-Instant|title=News|website=www.businesswire.com}}</ref>

The ICQ client application and service were initially released in November 1996, freely available to download. The business did not have traditional marketing and relied mostly on word-of-mouth advertising instead, with customers telling their friends about it, who then informed their friends, and so on.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-19 |title=What Is ICQ? Myths, Scams & More (with pictures) |url=http://www.easytechjunkie.com/what-is-icq.htm |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=Easy Tech Junkie |language=en-US}}</ref> ICQ was among the first stand-alone [[instant messenger]] (IM) applications—while real-time chat was not in itself new ([[Internet Relay Chat]] [IRC] being the most common platform at the time), the concept of a fully centralized service with individual user accounts focused on one-on-one conversations set the blueprint for later instant messaging services like [[AOL Instant Messenger|AIM]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.techspot.com/article/1771-icq/|title=What Ever Happened to ICQ?|website=TechSpot|date=23 February 2022 }}</ref> and its influence is seen in modern social media applications. ICQ became the first widely adopted IM platform.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/@Workato/from-aim-to-slack-tracing-the-history-of-chat-apps-b2419c12b9dc|title=From AIM to Slack: Tracing the History of Chat Apps|date=June 9, 2017|website=Medium}}</ref>

At its peak around 2001, ICQ had more than 100 million accounts registered.<ref name="Time Warner2001">[http://www.timewarner.com/newsroom/press-releases/2001/05/09/icq-celebrates-100-million-registered-users ICQ Surpasses 100 Million Registered Users] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510153236/http://www.timewarner.com/newsroom/press-releases/2001/05/09/icq-celebrates-100-million-registered-users |date=2019-05-10 }}, Time Warner Press Release – May 09, 2001 (accessed 2015-05-12).</ref> At the time of the Mail.Ru acquisition in 2010, there were around 42 million daily users.<ref name="bloomberg2014">{{citation|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-07-29/icq-messenger-is-growing-for-the-first-time-in-years|title=ICQ Messenger Is Growing for the First Time in Years|first=Ilya|last=Khrennikov|date=29 July 2014|work=Bloomberg Business}}</ref> In 2022, ICQ had about 11 million monthly users.<ref>{{cite news |title=What Ever Happened to ICQ? |url=https://www.techspot.com/article/1771-icq/ |work=TechSpot |date=23 February 2022}}</ref>

The service was shut down on June 26, 2024, following an announcement on ICQ's website in May 2024. <ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://uk.pcmag.com/mobile-apps/152479/icq-one-of-the-oldest-instant-messengers-is-shutting-down|title=ICQ, One of the Oldest Instant Messengers, Is Shutting Down|first=Michael|last=Kan|date=May 24, 2024|website=pcmag.com}}</ref>

== Features of ICQ New ==

The last version of the service, launched in 2020 as "ICQ New", featured a number of different messaging functions:

* Private chats: conversations between two users, with history synchronized to the cloud. A user could delete a sent message at any time, and a notification will be shown indicating that the message has been deleted.
* A chat with oneself, which could be used to save messages from group or private chats, or upload media content as a form of [[cloud storage]].
* Group chats with up to 25 thousand participants at the same time, which any user could create. Users could hide their phone number from other participants, see which group members have read a message, and switched off notifications for messages from specific group members.
* Audio and video calls with up to five people.
* Sending and receiving of audio messages, with automatic transcription to text.
* Channels, where authors could publish posts as text messages and attach media files, similar to a [[blog]]. Once the post was published, subscribers receive a notification as they would from regular and group chats. The channel author could remain anonymous.
* Polls inside group chats.
* An API-bot which could be used by anyone to create a [[social bot|bot]], to perform specific actions and interact with users.
* "Stickers": small images or photos expressing some form of emotion, could be selected from a provided sticker library or users could upload their own. [[Machine learning]] was used to recommend stickers automatically.
* "Masks": images that could be superimposed onto the camera in real-time during video calls, or onto photos to be sent to other users. 
* [[Nickname]]s, which users could set to use in place of a phone number for others to search for and contact them.
* "Smart answers": short phrases that appear above the message box which can be used to answer messages. ICQ New analyzed the contents of a conversation and suggests a few pre-set answers.

==UIN==
ICQ users were identified and distinguished from one another by UIN, or User Identification Numbers, distributed in sequential order. The UIN was invented by [[Mirabilis (company)|Mirabilis]], as the user name assigned to each user upon registration. Issued UINs started at '100,000' (6 digits) and every user received a UIN when first registering with ICQ. As of ICQ6 users were also able to log in using the specific [[e-mail]] address they associated with their UIN during the initial registration process.
Unlike other instant messaging software or [[web application]]s, on ICQ the only permanent user info was the UIN, although it was possible to search for other users using their associated e-mail address or any other detail they made public by updating it in their account's public profile. In addition the user could change all of his or her personal information, including [[User (computing)|screen name]] and e-mail address, without having to re-register. Since 2000, ICQ and [[AOL Instant Messenger|AIM]] users were able to add each other to their contact list without the need for any external clients. As a response to UIN theft or sale of attractive UINs, ICQ started to store email addresses previously associated with a UIN.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.icq.com/register/email_attach.php|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060209025659/http://www.icq.com/register/email_attach.php|url-status=dead|title=icq.com|archivedate=February 9, 2006}}</ref> As such UINs that are stolen could sometimes be reclaimed, if a valid primary email address was entered into the user profile.

==History==
The founding company of ICQ, Mirabilis, was established in June 1996 by five [[Israelis|Israeli]] developers: Yair Goldfinger, Sefi Vigiser, Amnon Amir, Arik Vardi, and Arik's father [[Yossi Vardi]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.israel21c.org/an-artist-for-the-high-tech-age/|title=An artist for the high-tech age|date=July 6, 2003|website=ISRAEL21c}}</ref> ICQ was one of the first text-based messengers to reach a wide range of users.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Petronzio|first=Matt|title=A Brief History of Instant Messaging|url=https://mashable.com/2012/10/25/instant-messaging-history/|access-date=2020-11-17|website=Mashable|date=25 October 2012 |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307091743/https://mashable.com/2012/10/25/instant-messaging-history/|archive-date=2021-03-07|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The technology Mirabilis developed for ICQ was distributed free of charge. The technology's success encouraged [[AOL]] to acquire Mirabilis on June 8, 1998, for $287 million up front and $120 million in additional payments over three years based on performance levels.<ref name="nyt mirabilis">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/09/business/america-online-to-buy-internet-chat-service-for-287-million.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 9, 1998 |title=America Online to Buy Internet Chat Service for $287 Million }}</ref> In 2002 AOL successfully patented the technology.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2591723.stm |title=BBC NEWS &#124; Technology &#124; AOL wins instant messaging case |publisher=news.bbc.co.uk |access-date=2010-03-31 | date=December 19, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite patent |country=US |number=6449344 |title=Communication system |status=patent |assign1=Aol Acquisition Corporation |invent1=Goldfinger, Yair |invent2=Vigiser, Sefi |invent3=Vardi, Arieh |invent4=Amnon, Amir |pubdate= |gdate=2002-09-10 |fdate=1997-01-27 |pridate=1996-10-06}}</ref>

[[File:Logo ICQ.svg|thumb|150px|ICQ logo from 1998 to 2014]]
After the purchase, the product was initially managed by Ariel Yarnitsky and Avi Shechter. ICQ's management changed at the end of 2003. Under the leadership of the new CEO, Orey Gilliam,<ref>{{cite web|last=Haner|first=Lior|title=ICQ, the fashion house Company to enter TV messaging and appliances too|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/icq-the-fashion-house-1.189682|publisher=Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd|access-date=25 April 2014|date=Jun 7, 2006}}</ref> who also assumed the responsibility for all of AOL's messaging business in 2007, ICQ resumed its growth; it was not only a highly profitable company, but one of AOL's most successful businesses. Eliav Moshe replaced Gilliam in 2009 and became ICQ's managing director.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schütz|first=Anja|title=Why ICQ is so successful in Germany|date=March 2010 |url=http://www.silicon.de/41528215/warum-icq-in-deutschland-so-erfolgreich-ist/|publisher=NetMediaEurope Germany|access-date=25 April 2014|language=de}}</ref>

[[File:Papirus-64-apps-icq.svg|thumb|150px|ICQ logo, used from 2015 to <!-- April -->2020]]
In April 2010, AOL sold ICQ to Digital Sky Technologies, headed by [[Alisher Usmanov]], for $187.5 million.<ref name="FT.com mail.ru">{{cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2ba3294a-52c1-11df-a192-00144feab49a.html |newspaper=[[Financial Times]] |title=AOL sells ICQ to Russian internet company |date=April 28, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430191635/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2ba3294a-52c1-11df-a192-00144feab49a.html |archive-date=April 30, 2010 }}</ref> While ICQ was displaced by AOL Instant Messenger, Google Talk, and other competitors in the US and many other countries over the 2000s, it remained the most popular instant messaging network in Russian-speaking countries, and an important part of online culture.<ref name="wired2010">{{Cite magazine |last=Kovalev |first=Alexey |author-link=Alexey Kovalev (journalist) |date=2010-05-03 |title=Why ICQ is so important to Russia |language=en |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/why-icq-is-so-important-to-russia |access-date=2022-04-01 |issn=1357-0978}}</ref> Popular [[ICQ#UIN|UIN]]s demanded over 11,000₽ in 2010.<ref name="wired2010" />

In September of that year, [[Digital Sky Technologies]] changed its name to Mail.Ru Group. Since the acquisition, Mail.ru has invested in turning ICQ from a desktop client to a mobile messaging system. As of 2013, around half of ICQ's users were using its mobile apps, and in 2014, the number of users began growing for the first time since the purchase.<ref name="bloomberg2014" />

In March 2016, the [[source code]] of the client was released under the [[Apache license]] on [[GitHub]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://omgdgt.com/2016/03/messeneger-icq-has-opened-the-source-code/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427112658/http://omgdgt.com/2016/03/messeneger-icq-has-opened-the-source-code/|title=Messeneger ICQ has opened the source code|url-status=usurped|archive-date=April 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>[https://github.com/mailru/icqdesktop icqdesktop] on GitHub</ref>

In 2020, Mail.Ru Group decided to launch a new version, "ICQ New", based on the original ICQ. The updated software was presented to the general public on April 6, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Novinar |first=Novinar |date=April 7, 2020 |title=Mail.Ru Group Brings Back ICQ Messenger With Focus on Group Talks |url=https://russiabusinesstoday.com/technology/mail-ru-group-brings-back-icq-messenger-with-focus-on-group-talks/ |website=Russia Business Today}}</ref> 

During the second week of January 2021, ICQ saw a renewed increase in popularity in [[Hong Kong]], spurred on by the controversy over [[WhatsApp]]'s privacy policy update. The number of downloads for the application increased 35-fold in the region.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Purnell |first1=Newley |last2=Wang |first2=Joyu |date=24 January 2021 |title=Dropping WhatsApp? Nostalgia Drives Users to ICQ |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/dropping-whatsapp-nostalgia-drives-users-to-icq-11611502516 |access-date=25 January 2021 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref>

On May 24, 2024, the main page of ICQ's website announced that the service would be shutting down on June 26, 2024.<ref name="auto"/> ICQ recommended that users migrate to [[VK (service)|VK Messenger and VK WorkSpace]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/software/well-miss-you-pioneering-instant-messaging-program-icq-is-finally-shutting-down-after-nearly-30-years/|title=We'll Miss You: Pioneering instant messaging program ICQ is finally shutting down after nearly 30 years|author1=Andy Chalk|website=PC Gamer |date=May 24, 2024|via=www.pcgamer.com}}</ref>

===Development history===
*'''ICQ 99a/b''' the first releases that were widely available.
*'''ICQ 2000''' incorporated into ''Notes'' and ''Reminder'' features.
*'''ICQ 2001''' included server-side storage of the contact list. This provided synchronization between multiple computers and enforced obtaining consent before adding UINs to the contact list by preventing clients from modifying the local contact list directly.
*In 2002, [[AOL Time Warner]] announced that ICQ had been issued a United States [[patent]] for instant messaging.
*'''ICQ 2002''' was the last completely advertising-free ICQ version.
*'''ICQ Pro 2003b''' was the first ICQ version to use the ICQ protocol version 10. However, ''ICQ 5'' and 5.1 use version 9 of the protocol. ''ICQ 2002'' and ''2003a'' used version 8 of the ICQ protocol. Earlier versions (''ICQ 2001b'' and all ICQ clients before it) used ICQ protocol version 7.
*'''ICQ 4''' and later '''ICQ 5''' (released on Monday, February 7, 2005), were upgrades on ICQ Lite. One addition was Xtraz, which offers games and features intended to appeal to younger users of the Internet. ICQ Lite was originally an idea to offer the lighter users of instant messaging an alternative client which was a smaller download and less resource-hungry for relatively slow computers.
*'''ICQ 5''' introduced [[Skin (computing)|skins]] support. There are few official [[Skin (computing)|skins]] available for the current ICQ 5.1 at the official website; however, a number of user-generated skins have been made available for download.
*'''ICQ 6''', released on April 17, 2007, was the first major update since ICQ 4. The [[user interface]] has been redesigned using [[Boxely]], the same rendering engine used in [[AIM Triton]]. This change adds new features such as the ability to send IMs directly from the client's contact list. ICQ has recently started forcing users of v5.1 to upgrade to version 6 (and XP).  Those who do not upgrade will find their older version of ICQ does not start up.  Although the upgrade to version 6 should be seen as a positive thing, some users may find that useful features such as sending multiple files at one time is no longer supported in the new version.  At the beginning of July 2008, a network upgrade forced users to stop using ICQ 5.1 – applications that identified themselves as ICQ 5, such as [[Pidgin (software)|Pidgin]], were forced to identify themselves as ICQ 6. There seems to be no alternative for users other than using a different IM program or patching ICQ 5.1 with a special application.
*'''ICQ 7.0''', released on January 18, 2010. This update includes integration with [[Facebook]] and other websites. It also allows custom personal status similar to [[Windows Live Messenger]] ([[MSN Messenger]]). ICQ 7.0 does not support [[traditional Chinese]] on standard installation or with the addition of an official language pack. This has made its adoption difficult with the established user base from Hong Kong and Taiwan where traditional Chinese is the official language.
*'''ICQ 8''', released on February 5, 2012 – "Meet the new generation of ICQ, Enjoy free video calls, messages and SMS, social networks support and more."
*'''ICQ 10.0''', released January 18, 2016. Final update was 10.0 Build 46867, released on May 27, 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filehorse.com/download-icq/old-versions/|access-date=June 30, 2022|work=File Horse|title=ICQ}}</ref>

==Criticism==
===Policy against unofficial clients===
[[AOL]] (and later Mail.ru) pursued an aggressive policy regarding alternative ("unauthorized") ICQ clients.
*In July 2008, changes were implemented on ICQ servers causing many unofficial clients to stop working. These users received an official notification from "ICQ System".
*On December 9, 2008, another change to the ICQ servers occurred: clients sending Client IDs not matching ICQ 5.1 or higher stopped working.
*On December 29, 2008, the ICQ press service distributed a statement characterizing alternative clients as dangerous.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.cyberstyle.ru/newsline/4538-icq-qip-infium-jabber-miranda-mail.ru-agent-jimm-messenger-im-instant-messaging-aska-mgnovennye-soobseniy-klient.html|title= Официальное заявление ICQ: использовать QIP — опасно &#124; CyberStyle.ru|website= www.cyberstyle.ru}}</ref>
*On January 21, 2009, ICQ servers started blocking all unofficial clients in Russia and [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] countries.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://profy.com/2009/01/21/aol-engaged-in-dubious-competition-practices-for-icq-in-russia/ |title=AOL Engaged in Dubious Competition Practices for ICQ in Russia |access-date=2009-02-04 |archive-date=2009-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124231815/http://profy.com/2009/01/21/aol-engaged-in-dubious-competition-practices-for-icq-in-russia/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Users in Russia and Ukraine received a message from UIN 1:
<blockquote>
"Системное сообщение<br/>
:ICQ не поддерживает используемую вами версию. Скачайте бесплатную авторизованную версию ICQ с официального web-сайта ICQ.
System Message
:The version you are using is not supported by ICQ. Download a free authorized ICQ version from ICQ's official website."
</blockquote>
On icq.com there was an "important message" for Russian-speaking ICQ users: "ICQ осуществляет поддержку только авторизированных версий программ: ICQ Lite и ICQ 6.5." ("ICQ supports only authorized versions of programs: ICQ Lite and ICQ 6.5.")
*On February 3, 2009, the events of January 21 were repeated.
*On December 27, 2018, ICQ announced it was to stop supporting unofficial clients, affecting many users who prefer a compact size using [[Miranda NG]] and other clients.
*On December 28, 2018, ICQ stopped working on some unofficial clients.
*In late March, 2019, ICQ stopped working on the [[Pidgin (software)|Pidgin]] client, as initiated in December 2018.

===Cooperation with Russian intelligence services===
According to a ''[[Novaya Gazeta]]'' article published in May 2018, Russian intelligence agencies had access to online reading of ICQ users' correspondence during crime investigations. The article examined 34 sentences of Russian courts, during the investigation of which the evidence of the defendants' guilt was obtained by reading correspondence on a PC or mobile devices. In six of the fourteen cases in which ICQ was involved, the capturing of information occurred before the seizure of the device. Because the rival service [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] blocks all access for the agencies, the Advisor of the Russian President, [[German Klimenko]], recommended to use ICQ instead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2018/05/17/76500-aska-i-tovarisch-mayor|title="Аська" и товарищ майор|website=Новая газета}}</ref>

=== Child pornography ===
In 2023, an investigation by Brazilian news outlet ''Núcleo Jornalismo'' found that ICQ was used to freely share [[child pornography]] due to lax moderation policies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-22 |title=No Facebook, links com pornografia infantil circulam livremente |trans-title=On Facebook, links containing child pornography are shared freely |url=https://nucleo.jor.br/especiais/2023-06-22-grupos-publicos-de-pornografia-infantil-sao-compartilhados-no-facebook/ |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=Núcleo Jornalismo |language=pt-br}}</ref>

==Clients==
[[AOL]]'s [[OSCAR protocol|OSCAR]] [[network protocol]] used by ICQ was [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] and using a third party client was a violation of ICQ Terms of Service. Nevertheless, a number of third-party clients were created by using reverse-engineering and protocol descriptions. These clients included:

* [[Adium]]: supports ICQ, [[Yahoo! Messenger|Yahoo!]], [[AOL Instant Messenger|AIM]], [[Microsoft Messenger service|MSN]], [[Google Talk]], [[Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol|XMPP]], and others, for [[macOS]]
* [[Ayttm]]: supports ICQ, Yahoo!, AIM, MSN, [[Internet Relay Chat|IRC]], and XMPP
* [[BitlBee]]: IRC gateway, supports ICQ, Yahoo!, AIM, MSN, Google Talk, and XMPP
* [[Centericq]]: supports ICQ, Yahoo!, AIM, MSN, IRC and XMPP, text-based
* [[climm]] (formerly mICQ): text-based
* [[Jimm]]: supports ICQ, for [[Java ME]] [[mobile devices]]
* [[Kopete]]: supports AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, XMPP, Google Talk, IRC, Gadu-Gadu, Novell GroupWise Messenger and others, for Unix-like
* [[Meetro]]: IM and social networking combined with location; supports AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo!
* [[Miranda NG]]: supports ICQ, Yahoo!, AIM, MSN, IRC, Google Talk, XMPP, Gadu-Gadu, BNet and others, for [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]
* [[Naim (chat program)|Naim]]: [[ncurses]]-based
* [[Pidgin (instant messaging client)|Pidgin]] (formerly Gaim): supports ICQ, Yahoo!, AIM, Gtalk, MSN, IRC, XMPP, Gadu-Gadu, SILC, Meanwhile, ([[Lotus Sametime|IBM Lotus Sametime]]) and others
* [[Quiet Internet Pager|QIP]]: supports ICQ, AIM, XMPP and XIMSS
* [[stICQ]]: supports ICQ, for [[Symbian OS]]
* [[Trillian (software)|Trillian]]: supports ICQ, IRC, Google Talk, XMPP and others

AOL supported clients include:
* [[AOL Instant Messenger]] (discontinued in 2017)
* [[Messages (Apple)|Messages]]/[[iChat]]: uses ICQ's UIN as an AIM screenname, for [[macOS]]

==See also==
*[[Comparison of instant messaging clients]]
*[[Comparison of instant messaging protocols]]
*[[LAN messenger]]
*[[Online chat]]
*[[Windows Live Messenger]]
*[[Tencent QQ]]

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

==External links==
{{Commons category|ICQ}}
* [http://www.icq.com Official ICQ website]

{{Instant messaging}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Icq}}
[[Category:Instant messaging clients]]
[[Category:1996 software]]
[[Category:AIM (software) clients]]
[[Category:AOL]]
[[Category:BlackBerry software]]
[[Category:IOS software]]
[[Category:Symbian software]]
[[Category:2010 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:Mergers and acquisitions of Israeli companies]]
[[Category:Android (operating system) software]]
[[Category:Formerly proprietary software]]
[[Category:1996 establishments in Israel]]
[[Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2024]]
[[Category:Defunct websites]]
[[Category:Defunct instant messaging clients]]