Apps like AOL Instant Messenger today
AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) shut down on December 15, 2017. If you miss its buddy list, its away messages and the sound of a friend signing on, Y2K Chat is a new messenger built around those same ideas, for your real friends. It's free on Android, and it works on iPhone without the App Store.
What people miss about AIM
- A buddy list that showed who was around right now.
- Away messages that people changed all day: song lyrics, inside jokes, "brb".
- The sounds of friends signing on and off.
- Chatting only with people you actually knew.
What happened to it
AOL shut down AIM on December 15, 2017. Since then, most chat has moved to apps built around phone numbers, feeds and group chats.
What Y2K Chat offers
- A buddy list that shows which friends are online, away or offline, with their personal message and the song they're playing.
- Nudges that shake your friend's chat window, with a sound.
- Away messages: a preset like "Be right back" or your own words.
- Sign-in chimes when a friend comes online, mutable per friend.
- An answering machine: if nobody's online, leave a voice message on the "tape".
- Circles: small group chats of up to 10 friends.
And what's left out: no AI, no ads, no feeds, no strangers, no photos or videos. Messages delete themselves after 30 days. It has its own original look and sounds, and it's free.
Get Y2K Chat
On iPhone there's no App Store download: open y2kchats.com in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. It opens from your home screen like any other app.
Questions
Is AIM still around?
No. AOL shut down AIM on December 15, 2017, and it can't be used any more.
Does Y2K Chat have away messages?
Yes. Pick a preset like "Be right back" or write your own, and friends see it next to your name on their buddy list.
Can strangers message me on Y2K Chat?
No. There's no search and no public profiles. You only chat with friends you've added with a friend code, once both of you have added each other.