instant messengers
Live text platforms
Instant messengers are software applications that allow real-time text communication between users over the internet.
The term emerged in the 1990s with services like AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ, distinguishing them from email's delayed delivery.
Modern instant messengers typically include group chats, file sharing, and video calls: I use several instant messengers for work and personal conversations.
The category now blurs with texting apps and social media platforms.
- onlineNetwork-connected state
- emojiDigital pictograph for messaging
- chatInformal verbal exchange
- sendCause to arrive elsewhere
- WhatsAppMobile messaging platform
contacts · Telegram · conversation · text · typing indicator · chat bubble · notifications · push notification · voice note · type · Signal · real-time · group chat · buddy list · AIM · communication · screen · Slack
instant messengersemail
Digital written communication
snail mail · letters · voicemail · telegrams · memos
instant messengershandwritten letters
Mail composed manually
carrier pigeons · smoke signals · couriers · pony express · landline phones
instant messengersofficial letters
Authorized written communications
certified mail · business correspondence · legal documents · diplomatic cables · memoranda
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