If you are over 30, you likely recall the famous ICQ “Uh-oh!” alert from the early 2000s. This nostalgic sound, which was part of many people’s childhood and adolescence, will soon disappear as VK, the Russian company that bought the service in 2010, revealed that ICQ will be shut down on June 26.

A concise overview of the ICQ’s history

The ICQ, short for “I Seek You,” was launched in 1996 by the Israeli company Mirabilis, becoming one of the earliest instant messaging applications to gain popularity on the internet. Users could connect and chat in real-time, distinguishing themselves with unique identification numbers instead of emails.

Mirabilis was purchased by AOL in 1998, and ICQ hit its highest point in 2001 with 100 million users. In 2010, AOL sold the platform to Digital Sky Technologies, now known as VK, one of Russia’s leading internet firms.

ICQ introduced several features that are now standard in messaging services. One standout feature was the option to send messages to users who were offline, a capability that was groundbreaking before the era of WhatsApp. This feature enabled users to leave messages for offline recipients, which would be delivered once the recipient came online.

The time of WhatsApp and Telegram

In 2023, an updated edition of ICQ was launched in an effort to rival popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. Despite integrating modern features to appeal to a younger audience, the service was unsuccessful in regaining its former prominence and expanding its user base.

The end of ICQ signifies the conclusion of a noteworthy period in internet history, as it served as a key platform for instant messaging and digital communication, contributing significantly to the evolution of communication technologies.

From June 26 onwards, we won’t hear the sound “Uh-oh!” anymore.