MSN Messenger
Microsoft's Presence and Instant-Messaging Client
Forgotten Internet · 1999
Archived on
Associated With
Microsoft - creator and operator
Defining Feature
A contact list combining online presence, instant messages, email alerts and user-controlled availability
Status
Discontinued - Microsoft moved Messenger users to Skype, with retirement outside mainland China beginning in 2013
Overview
MSN Messenger made friends’ online status instantly visible, showing users who had just signed in.
Launched by Microsoft in July 1999, the 320KB client let users see who was available, open a conversation and exchange messages in real time. It shared credentials with Hotmail and connected with other Microsoft services.
Microsoft later moved Messenger users to Skype. Its 2013 retirement programme covered countries outside mainland China, and Microsoft said Messenger contacts would be available in Skype after users upgraded.
Why It Mattered
MSN Messenger helped shift online communication from sending something and waiting to seeing that somebody was present at that moment. Its contact lists, status controls and arrival alerts made signing in a social act; Microsoft reported more than 10 million active users by April 2000.
Launch Client
- Microsoft announced MSN Messenger on 21 July 1999 and made the client available the following midnight.
- The program was 320KB and offered in English, French, German and Japanese.
- Microsoft reported more than 10 million active users by April 2000.
Presence and Privacy Controls
- Users could set their availability, appear idle, block senders or use an invisible mode.
- The client alerted users when a contact came online or a Hotmail message arrived.
Connected Services and Retirement
- The service shared credentials with Hotmail and linked to Outlook Express contacts.
- Users could start NetMeeting voice or video conferences from a contact relationship.
- Microsoft’s April 2013 notice moved Messenger contacts into Skype and set out retirement outside mainland China.
Sources & Records
- Microsoft Launches MSN Messenger Service — Documents the 1999 launch, client features, connected services and privacy controls.
- Microsoft — Messenger Retirement and the Move to Skype — Explains the 2013 migration to Skype and the mainland China exception.
- Aggressive MSN Offer Follows Record Growth — Supplies Microsoft’s reported ten-million-user figure in April 2000.
Gallery
Credit
Forgotten Archive — AI-generated using ChatGPT; origin supplied by the owner
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary, criticism, research and historical documentation where permitted by applicable law. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
AI-generated reconstruction of MSN Messenger's familiar contact lists and status messages, recalling an era when signing in announced your availability to friends.