

Yahoo originally debuted its Yahoo Messenger app on the iOS App Store in April 2009, giving users the ability to instant message their contacts when away from their computer. Squirrel is still in the testing phase and allows groups to organize private chats with friends and family members in a style similar to Slack and Discord.

"There currently isn't a replacement" for Yahoo Messenger, however, so the company pointed users toward the invite-only group messaging app Yahoo Squirrel.

As the communications landscape continues to change over, we're focusing on building and introducing new, exciting communications tools that better fit consumer needs. We know we have many loyal fans who have used Yahoo Messenger since its beginning as one of the first chat apps of its kind. As for a reason, Yahoo said that it is focusing on "building and introducing new, exciting communications tools" that will be a "better fit" for its customers. The company promised that the discontinuation of Yahoo Messenger will not impact a user's Yahoo ID, so it will continue to work for products like Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Fantasy. The service will function normally until then, and after that date users will no longer be able to access their chats and the Messenger service as a whole will be shut down.
#UPDATE YAHOO MESSENGER FOR MAC OS X ANDROID#
Yahoo today announced that its Yahoo Messenger service will no longer be supported after July 17, 2018, encompassing the closure of apps for iOS and Android and any web browser clients (via TechCrunch).
