Mail Ru : ICQ Turns 20

15.11.2016

ICQ Turns 20

On November 15, 2016 the legendary ICQ celebrates its 20 anniversary. During those two decades, ICQ has evolved from a desktop-only solution to a cross-platform messaging app offering a full range of communication features and capabilities, from chats and video calls to Stories feature and processing photos and videos using neural networks.

'The history of ICQ is integral to the history of the Internet, and we are very proud and excited to be working on the development of it. Today, ICQ is popular with both those who has started to use it on desktop, and the kids who install it on their smartphones and tablets. This means that we are on the right track: we will continue enhance the functionality of the app to satisfy users' emerging needs and follow communication trends,' said Igor Yermakov, Head of Instant Messaging, Mail.Ru Group.

In 2016, ICQ team has introduced a number of major updates in line with the latest online communication trends. All the apps now boast clean and intuitive interface. The long-awaited Linux version has been launched, as well as the major update for OS X version. The app provides end-to-end encryption for all the calls.

What's more, ICQ users now enjoy new communication options and formats. It features live chats enabling thousands of users to participate in a conversation simultaneously, and offers voice messaging with speech recognition. The app also allows creating Stories, a feed featuring user's photos and short videos to share with friends and subscribers (each post is available for 24 hours).

ICQ apps for mobile devices now allow processing photos and videos using neural networks and interactive 3D masks.

The source code of ICQ is available on GitHub for third-party developers. The experts of the Android market have praised the app: ICQ has received Editors' Choice award on Google Play, and the team has been named the Top Developer.