What Happened to AOL Instant Messenger?

1997–2017 Software/Internet • United States

ℹ️ Fate: Service discontinued on 2017-12-15 after usage declines amid mobile and social messaging shifts.

Pre-dated texting, couldn't outlast smartphones

AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was one of the defining chat clients of the dial-up and early broadband era. Launched in 1997, it popularized the Buddy List, distinctive screen names, and the culture of away messages. AIM supported 1:1 and group chat and helped normalize real-time presence online. As mobile-first messengers and social apps rose, AIM’s usage fell, and AOL announced the end of the service in October 2017, shutting it down on December 15, 2017.

Timeline

1997
AIM launches as a standalone instant-messaging client separate from the AOL desktop.
2001
Peak early-2000s era: Buddy List and away messages become mainstream in the U.S.
2005
Mid-2000s client refresh (“AIM Triton”) introduces a new UI and voice/video features. (Date approximate; keep if you add a strong source.)
2012
AIM organization restructured; product enters a redesign period amid the shift to mobile messaging.
2017
AOL announces AIM will be discontinued.
2017
Service shuts down worldwide.