- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: May 10, 2006
- Total Downloads: 167,123,465
- Downloads last week: 5,387
- See full specifications
A newer version of ICQ is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 10742 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff on November 08, 2008
This venerable chat client upgrades with a retooled look and enough Preference control to satisfy even the most obsessive fans of customization. ICQ 6 includes video, audio, and text chat modes in a strong push to make the app the most versatile chat client around.
Audio chatting was smooth and painless, although that depends on user connection, of course. There's also a new Quick IM feature that allows you to send a text chat from within your contact list. The text window is only one line high, but perfectly sized if you're just shooting off a quick note.
Many of the notable plug-ins have been folded into the new version as standard features. Standard fare in ICQ now includes SMS messaging and the Flash-movie tZers as well as alerts and skins. Consequentially, the quick-loading app has a larger footprint. Ad banners are nonexistent except in the built-in games, and all text chat histories are automatically saved. Some features, like Push2Talk, seem to have been phased out of the new version, and customizing tZers is no longer an option. Also, the Help option is non-functional in this release.
Despite a few minor setbacks, there are too many improvements to keep ICQ down. Other notable additions include split-screen compatibility, IM forwarding, and integrated Google searching. In enhancing its already rich feature set, ICQ has definitely increased its standing among its many competitors.
Watch the CNET video review of ICQ:
Publisher's description
From ICQ :ICQ, the classic Instant Messaging service, has launched its newest version, ICQ 5.1. The one stop service for all your communication needs.
The ICQ 5.1 version includes all of the essential communication features such as messaging with the ability to save your chat history, file transfer, sending SMS messages (in selected countries), Voice & Video chats, and an extensive directory search for meeting new people. It also provides the ability to add and communicate with AOL and AIM users. In addition, ICQ has recently introduced ICQ Phone, a new, low-rate way to make PC to Phone calls. ICQ Phone joins the multimedia feature set that includes ICQ Push-to-Talk, the ""walkie-talkie "" like service.
ICQ also includes Xtraz which allow you to send personalized greeting cards, apply custom icons to your buddies, play online games, and customize your shortcuts panel for one-click access to all your favorite features. The ICQ Xtraz platform enables ICQ to present users with a selection of new services as they are created, without the need for you to download a new client. ICQ Xtraz also supports the creation of new ICQ features that can be built separately from the core ICQ client and then delivered and automatically updated over time. The new interface is clean and intuitive, so you can start chatting quickly and easily.
Users now have more options to customize ICQ 5.1's newly designed interface. ICQ tZers allow users to send short flash animations to their Contact List friends as well as newly designed boyz and girlz skins and emoticons to add more personality to their messages.
What's new in this version:
Version 5.1 includes unspecified changes and fixes.
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User reviews of ICQ 5.1
- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 10742 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 164 user reviewsSee all 164 user reviews
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42 out of 50 people found this review helpful
Version: ICQ 5.1
Pros: For those who are old school and still use ICQ, this version is not too bad. It hasn't crashed on me yet, and the features are nifty despite that I do not use them. The best part is that this program is free.
Cons: I would like a cleaner interface, but nothing too much to complain about.
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20 out of 24 people found this review helpful
Version: ICQ 5.1
Pros: This is my pick besides trillian. Free, clean and quick install. Nice notification sounds. Plenty of Xtras. Just a very pleasent messenger expirence.
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6 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Version: ICQ 5.1
Pros: everything basic you can get from MSN or yahoo messenage: basic text chat, video/voice chat, SMS messege plus a very nice/friendly interface. supports pc-to-phone calling, and the walk-talkie style push2talk is a handy extra as well.
brand new xtraz which is a online community service offers games, personalized cards and icons, plus few more service/feature you would expect from a popular messaging tool.
Cons: this isn't as near popular as MSN, and the new live messenger is coming out already, it doesn't stand up quite as to the other chat giants.
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6 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Version: ICQ 5.1
"Well, if you want to stay here..."
Cons: It's a chat program, though I see very little reason these days to stick with this one. There are so many better designed programs for chatting now. Windows Live Messenger, Trillian Astra, Yahoo Messenger...then list goes on. It was uninstalled on my computer moments after it was on, because it did not life up to it's big name.
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11 out of 19 people found this review helpful
Version: ICQ 5.1
Pros: This version is not too bad. It has never crashed or failed to run on me. The best part is that this program is free.
Cons: A littl cleaner interface would be nice.
- See all 164 user reviews Write review
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