AIM Discontinued: Can You Still Use Your AIM Email?

AOL announced today that their instant messenger service is shutting down for good. Effective December 17, 2017, you will no longer be able to use the service.

On the company’s FAQ page, it’s stated that you will still be able to use your @aim email address as you normally would. Nothing will change with the use of the email address, only the AIM messenger servers will be shut down.

In a statement on why the company chose to shut down the chat service, the company stated that they would like to focus on new products.

We know there are so many loyal fans who have used AIM for decades; and we loved working and building the first chat app of its kind since 1997. Our focus will always be on providing the kind of innovative experiences consumers want. We’re more excited than ever to focus on building the next generation of iconic brands and life-changing products.

In a statement released on tumblr by Michael Albers, the VP of Communications Product at Oath, the company reminisced on old times while looking forward to new ones.

If you were a 90’s kid, chances are there was a point in time when AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was a huge part of your life. You likely remember the CD, your first screenname, your carefully curated away messages, and how you organized your buddy lists. Right now you might be reminiscing about how you had to compete for time on the home computer in order to chat with friends outside of school. You might also remember how characters throughout pop culture from “You’ve Got Mail” to “Sex and the City” used AIM to help navigate their relationships. In the late 1990’s, the world had never seen anything like it. And it captivated all of us.

All your data associated with AIM will be deleted on December 15, 2017. This will include your Buddy List from chat and any files that were uploaded through the services.

If you’d like to save your chat history, you’ll have to save them before December 15 as well.

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