Yahoo! Messenger, hold the download

Posted May 2nd, 2007 at 6:40 pm by Jeff Bonforte, Yahoo! Messenger

 57 Comments / Filed in: Cool Stuff, Trends & News

Here’s something I have been waiting to say for a long time… Yahoo! Messenger: Fast, Easy, Beautiful, and now with no download!

Again, no download.

That’s right, today we launched the all-new Web-based Yahoo! Instant Messenger. In fact, it’s the first brand-new Messenger in over six years.

Yahoo! Messenger for the Web is live, and folks, it’s about to blow up. Feedback from initial users is so crazily positive, I expect this will become the primary IM service for millions. See for yourself at http://webmessenger.yahoo.com, or simply http://web.im.

By removing barriers for IMing, we’re about to witness a new and bigger life for Yahoo! Messenger. Chats will carry on from computer to computer, across campuses or cubes. Your friends will travel with you to Internet cafes around the globe. You no longer will need to maneuver around IT restrictions. And for the millions of Internet users who don’t own PCs, instant messaging is, with today’s launch, instantly available from any Internet-enabled computer. Wondering if this service is for you? Check out this quick demo to see it for yourself.

Hands down, the two most addictive features are message history (access and search archived conversations from anywhere!) and the emoticon picker. is my favorite, and if you can replicate this face in real life, I want to see it.

We went out of our way to support all the browsers — IE, Firefox, Netscape, Safari (I’ve been a Mac guy since 1984, so this was really important to me), and Opera (because we have a soft spot for Norwegians). I think this just might be the fastest, most refined Web IM app out there. And through our interoperability agreement with Windows Live Messenger, Web messaging users are able to connect with the largest community of IM users — 350 million user accounts!

I love the new Messenger so much that I went on my honeymoon in Southeast Asia without my laptop (for the first time in 15 years), knowing I could walk into any Internet cafe or jump on any airport computer and reach all my friends and family.

And since I am in Southeast Asia, I should mention that, for the first time, we are introducing localized versions of Messenger in Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam with this service.

I want to congratulate the whole team behind Project Pico, who did a fantastic job on this Web app. Our goal was to give the right experience to the right person at the right time. I know I speak for the over 12,000 Yahoo! employees around world, when I say, “Thanks for your great work.” Really, thanks.

Some code name trivia: Pico is smaller than Nano or Micro. Yahoo! Messenger for the Web is less than one-tenth the size of the downloaded client. It doesn’t have all the client features (like voice and webcam), but offers all the key communications and self-expressive features you need to be a messenger.

This isn’t the last you will hear from either the new Web Messenger team or the Messenger client team this year, so stay tuned … we’re just getting warmed up.

In closing, here’s one word that sums up how I feel about this new product, this whole new direction… Yahoo!

Jeff Bonforte
VP of Product Development, Yahoo! Messenger

Somewhere in Asia.

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57 Comments Add your own

walter | May 2nd, 2007 at 8:43 pm

come visit boracay beach in the philippines while you’re in the area. = )

saw the new checkboxes for yahoomail last night and tried the shift+ctrl while clicking on help then i tried to activate the messenger.

it looks great. i just use dial-up at home so it took a while and i got disconnected (plus, i was sleepy already, so i stopped), but will try again tonight when i get home.

i will try to see if it will load while my ym is online or if it will disco my ym when it loads.

good work!

Praveen | May 2nd, 2007 at 9:38 pm

Yahoo! Web messenger is the best web messenger ever. I love the message history option & the emoticons are better than ever.

Yahoooooooooooooo!

Vrajesh | May 2nd, 2007 at 10:00 pm

This is an awesome launch! I have been waiting for something like this! I’ve just started using it, but its looking great so far!

Waiting for a new version of the MAC messenger now!!

Thanks a lot Yahoo! Team.

Frank Hamm | May 3rd, 2007 at 12:00 am

Nice screenshot – but unfortunately I can’t use the webmessenger :-(

The Webmessenger ist not available for my country (Germany) yet. I’m redirected to the german page de.messenger.yahoo.com when trying to open the USA page. And that page tells me webmessenger ist not available for Germany. So it’s not yet “instantly available from any Internet-enabled computer.”

But I’m looking forward when I’m “allowed” to webmessenge :-)

Would you (or someone else) please post when the webmessenger is opened for other countries? Thx!

BTW: Will there also be some widgets (i.e. for messaging in blog sidebars)?

Taume | May 3rd, 2007 at 3:12 am

Yahoo! Web Messenger Launched:

http://news.taume.com/Technology/Internet/Yahoo-Web-Messenger-1135

Andrew Wooldridge | May 3rd, 2007 at 7:25 am

I wonder, since it’s Flash/Flex – will there be an Apollo – based version also?

Matt Harwood | May 3rd, 2007 at 8:57 am

I would also like to know when this will be opened for non-US customers (I’m in the UK).

Can’t personally see a reason why I cannot use it? What difference can there be?

jon | May 3rd, 2007 at 12:11 pm

bravo, great job– this is very nice

Anita | May 3rd, 2007 at 9:11 pm

Wow.. the only reason i had to switch to Adium on my Mac was bcoz of no archiving… now thnks to this, im back! great product guys… i kinda like it better than the desktop one coz it seems to be less heavier and therefore less cumbersome on the machine..

cheers!

Kate | May 4th, 2007 at 4:21 am

No download? Rock on!! Since I blew my hard drive at work, I lost my ability to download messenger and I have become totally disconnected with my friends and family!! So how does this new thing work? How much of what I use it for can my company really see? Obviously they see the URL I’m accessing but can they capture what I say in my chat conversations? Any clue how much bandwith it will use – will me popping in there now and then set off some red flags with the net daddy crap they’ve installed? Please, please tell me that this is my connection back to the land of IM’ing!!!

PHUONG | May 4th, 2007 at 4:25 am

Yahoo! Web messenger is the best web messenger ever. I love the message history option & the emoticons are better than ever.

Jeff | May 4th, 2007 at 6:48 am

For those of you that are “locked out” with a message that says it is coming soon to your market…it shouldn’t be much longer most of you. Sorry for the delay. Our mistake. I have seen comments/complaints from DE and UK, those should be up very soon! You are right to complain.

Sorry again.

Jeff
The Messenger Team

Frank Hamm | May 4th, 2007 at 12:16 pm

Jeff,

thank you for your prompt and honest reaction. I just checked the webmessenger (DE) an I’m online now via webmessenger :-)

Frank

Manasi | May 4th, 2007 at 2:17 pm

Looks goood …. I wonder why the title of the Y! web messenger page says “null”… does anybody seeing the same thing?

Manasi | May 4th, 2007 at 2:21 pm

Its working fine now ….

Andy | May 4th, 2007 at 8:03 pm

WackyB has a full write up and review of the cool new web messenger here:

http://www.wackyb.co.nz/Yahoo!_Web_Messenger

Feature comparison of this against previous web messenger versions and the current download version (pc v8.1) here:

http://www.wackyb.co.nz/Yahoo!_Web_Messenger_Features

Don’t forget to check out the smiley comparison detailing all the changes and compatibility with other versions (and some seriously cool new smileys ;) ) here:

http://www.wackyb.co.nz/Yahoo!_Web_Messenger_Smileys

The new web messenger comes across with an instant wow factor similar to the yahoo pipes interface did… although both built on different technologies.. Look forward to watching this progress… :)

Matt Harwood | May 5th, 2007 at 4:22 pm

Just a quick thanks for updating for international use, much appreciated!

This thing is FAST!!

Andrei Potorac | May 5th, 2007 at 5:47 pm

Well done Yahoo Team! I look forward for the release of the Vista Version. As a MAC user too, I would love to see an update for Leopard once the new OS is released.

I hope Yahoo will not start to make us pay a fee for using the messenger. We use it daily. We’d die without it. :D

Good job again!

Scott | May 6th, 2007 at 4:44 pm

I know the “other guys” have had this feature (or similar) for quite some time now.

Frankly, I have no use for it. I’d much rather use the actual Software (In this case of course, Yahoo! Messenger for Windows – or when I’m in Linux: Gaim or Kopete).

I too often want to close my browser. Theefore, I just find a web messenger client an annoyance and not a convenience.

I can think of one instance when it would be convenient. That would be when I’m at work. However, every employer I’ve had monitors web usage closely and some even block certain sites (the Y! web messenger domain one is sure to make the list).

It’s a nice feature, but I just don’t have much use for it.

Now I *would* have use for an updated (w/features close or equal to the most recent Windows version) Y! messenger for UNIX/Linux. But that’s another story. :-)

khore | May 7th, 2007 at 5:01 am

Hi there,
thnx for the new webmessenger! and well done!

but I’m contacting with u for another purpose. The reason I’m contacting u is to mention an idea which is interupting my mind a while, as u done in web messenger (an archive of the messages) I was thinking to make other version so , that they keep the messages somewhere on the yahoo server and to save the space on yahoo servers once the message is read it moves from there to the client’s system wheter the client want to archive and save the message or not. Also I thought about about alerting , just a little pic near the ID , like the new blog star!

have fun man

for more info about the idea u can contact me

walter | May 7th, 2007 at 9:31 pm

so far so good, it works both in the dsl connection here at work (which i’m ecstatic about since regular ym is blocked by the i.t. dept, so now i get to ym my friends using my yahoomail, hehehe) and using the dial-up i have at home. = )

i hope yahoo can bring back the “save to yahoo photos” to yahoomail, as well as a “save all” for attachments. i recently received an email from a friend with several attachments and it took me a while to save them one by one. a “save all” function would be great! thanks so much.

Harshit Pandey | May 8th, 2007 at 5:03 am

Hi first of all Kudos and congrates to all yahoo team for lauching such an outstanding product in the market .As far as my point of view is concerned i think yahoo messanger is the best messanger found ever in the market . There are lot of compititor in the market still the service of yahoo make the user more appesed or satisfied .I wish a very good luck for the lauch of the above product and will hope for more and more better product in the coming future.

Keep rocking

Harshit Pandey

Debbie | May 8th, 2007 at 8:43 am

I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I LOVE THE NEW BETA MAIL. I JUST DOWNLOADED IT AND I HAVE TO SAY IT IS REALLY GREAT. I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO HOTMAIL AGAIN. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GUYS!!!!!!!!!!
SINCERELY
A NEW YAHOO USER

Will Stevenson | May 9th, 2007 at 2:02 am

Jeff,

Works great from Beijing.
Seamless transition for me from meebo…
:)

LOVE the single sign-on with it.

Webcam and voice coming?
If so, I might have to just cancel my Vonage.

-Will

RS | May 9th, 2007 at 10:42 am

Great job all. Want to make it even better?

Incorporate it (back) into Yahoo Groups. So many users on the YG suggestion boards are clamoring for it, you would make a huge hit by adding the web-based YIM into the YG service. It would allow groups users to chat easily and quickly. Total hit with the users, I recommend it ASAP to boost both products usability.

Cheers!

Rio | May 11th, 2007 at 8:34 am

how about send SMS service?

leydi | May 15th, 2007 at 1:34 am

i love a new messenger

leydi | May 15th, 2007 at 1:35 am

I like to talk whit freinds and famyli

negin | May 21st, 2007 at 6:20 am

chat with my friends and have a fun

negin | May 21st, 2007 at 6:28 am

i want a new messenger

Anoop | May 22nd, 2007 at 9:19 am

Great Job and thanks to all the team members of Yahoo for providing us a great platform to communicate with peoples.
Thanks Again from our WEBSEWAK.

Torveks | May 23rd, 2007 at 1:04 am

Hi there! Great job! Congratulations to your team. Unfortunately, our IT department blocks the webmessenger site. I was wondering how to activate the messenger from inside the yahoo mail beta, I couldn’t find it from any of the buttons and links. Thanks soo much! ^_^

lito | May 23rd, 2007 at 7:38 am

HI, it’s great I’ve tried it and I only downloaded a flash plugin 1K but I can’t view the webcam. Will this work on webcam?

Prasant | May 30th, 2007 at 7:13 am

When will the message archiving (on the server) be available in the downloaded client? The client is currently archiving on the local hard disk, on the contrary Google Talk archives everything on the server, whether you are using the downloaded client or the web version!

Ideally I would also like that the downloaded client having the option of archiving voice calls on the servers, now that Yahoo! provides unlimited storage!!

Nevertheless the web version is quite nifty! So is the the end for http://www.ebuddy.com and similar web clients? :)

george rowe | June 22nd, 2007 at 10:23 pm

i think im should be free,people can meet people4……………..seems like a good idea too me…..

Peggy Barker | August 22nd, 2007 at 3:27 pm

It seems much better than downloading as takes to long Peggy Barker

ame solitaire | August 24th, 2007 at 3:09 pm

thanks for providing this great opportunity for people to go online and talk with their friend and family with no need of downloaded.
thanks again
by ame solitaire

Teodor | August 25th, 2007 at 6:24 am

Where is the Tahoo! Messenger for WIndows Vista!?!??!!

Teodor | August 25th, 2007 at 6:26 am

In the Web version there is no AUDIBLES!?!?!

PSchuetz | August 31st, 2007 at 5:04 pm

Hi there,

why http://de.web.im don’t work and don’t redirect to de.webmessenger.yahoo.com..??!

This would be very useful! :)

best regards,

PSchuetz

Rob | September 1st, 2007 at 4:51 pm

this Messenger is not good. I downloaded it and all of a sudden I can’t use Firefox ..additionally, why must you infest my other browser with your toolbars and stuff? As an experienced user, I know if I want your additional products. Lay off, Yahoo!

anik | September 9th, 2007 at 4:09 pm

yo u on msn?

Aleasha | September 18th, 2007 at 1:23 pm

i cant find out how to download instant messanger on this computer any advice???!!

valon | September 21st, 2007 at 4:50 am

i like to download new messenger.okkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Ajit Koltharkar | October 11th, 2007 at 1:46 am

How to use instant messenger without download

dawna | November 16th, 2007 at 8:20 pm

help i can’t download yahoo messenger takes to long tried twice why so long yahoo

dawna | November 16th, 2007 at 8:24 pm

it was so easy in 2000 liked to keep in touch with my son in air force redneck13rebel69@yahoo.com thanks any way

hafsa | December 22nd, 2007 at 5:26 am

my yahoo messenger is not connected any time pleses help me

pramod | January 13th, 2008 at 12:19 pm

Works great

damine66 | January 30th, 2008 at 3:11 pm

I want yahoo massenger with version6

PG | February 14th, 2008 at 4:49 am

Web yahoo messenger is best for windows but i tried several time to use this from Red Hat 9.0 but could not connect to it…can anyone give the solution ?

btw, i’ve installed Java Runtime Environment and also Flash player plugin to Red Hat Linux 9.0…

melissa wooten | March 18th, 2008 at 8:30 pm

i cant get any other sounds on my messenger but the wave sound .hit browse but get nothing when i go to preferences.help … i hate that sound i need my yahoo yodel now .somebody please tell me how to get more sounds .

Farnaz | July 7th, 2008 at 5:56 am

how can we download this software easilY here?

afis | July 24th, 2008 at 3:38 pm

i got the site through a search engine

wangdue | July 26th, 2008 at 4:08 pm

and i wanna download this software,,,how can i do that……………..please let me know,,coz i love it a lots……….

Ravi | November 29th, 2008 at 3:01 am

Dear Sir,

webmessager have only few fonts. it is possible to add more fonts, like unicode fonts?

please reply.

Best Regards,

Ravi
dubai, ravidubai11@yahoo.com

Shameer | September 5th, 2009 at 3:52 am

Sir,
i want to chat philippines. but in the chat rooms philippines rooms not availabe.