Yahoo! Messenger - free SMS, video & voice calls

CNET Editors' note: The "Download Now" link directs you to the iTunes App Store, where you must continue the download process. You must have iTunes installed in order to open the link, and you must have an active iTunes account to download the application. This download may not be available in some countries.

CNET Editors' review

by: Jessica Dolcourt on May 04, 2009

Yahoo Messenger smoothly makes the jump to the iPhone and iPod Touch in this mobile imagining of Yahoo's desktop Messenger. In preserving core chatting features, the application shoots off IM and SMS messages, stashes key emoticons, encourages status updates, adds new contacts, and shares photos you've either stored on the camera roll, or have taken fresh through the iPhone's onboard lens.

Yahoo Messenger's clean, crisp iPhone app delivers notifications of new incoming chats while you're in a different conversation window, in addition to alerting you on a separate messaging screen. When a new message arrives, the app sounds the familiar Yahoo ping and buzzes to get your attention when the screen goes dark; however, we don't see a way to turn that off in the Settings menu.

Here are two other iPhone-specific tricks--the chat app flips over to landscape mode for horizontal conversating, and incorporates the iPhone's spell check. While mostly good for fat-fingered typos, the spell check feature is less convenient when you realize the words "hee hee" have been translated as "her her." The digital brains may have some catching up to do.

While Apple's 2.0 firmware will keep the app from running in the background on the iPhone, Yahoo does the next best thing by keeping you signed in, but idle, for 10 minutes while you're off playing with other apps. At the 'time's up,' you'll need to log in anew to continue chatting, and again if you switch back to your desktop Messenger. While you'll certainly recognize the difference between the two applications, Yahoo's successful capture of the desktop client's look and feel bring a rich IM experience to Apple's famous devices.

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Publisher's Description

From Yahoo:

Stay connected with your friendsanytime, anywhere with Yahoo! Messenger. Whether theyre on the iPad, mobile or PC, call them with free voice and video. Send free international text messages. Or share photos and videos with your Messenger contacts in real-time.Smart features include: Voice and Video: Make free voice and video calls to your Yahoo! Messenger contacts Yahoo! Phone Out: Make low cost international calls to landlines or mobile phones with your Yahoo! Voice Phone Out account Works with Windows Live: Add MSN Messenger contacts to your Messenger list and manage all your contacts in one place Always On: Stay signed in to your chats on your iDevice and Windows PC at the same time - receive messages only where you are active Multitasking: A notification alerts you when an IM arrives, even when the app is running in the background Send free international SMS messages: Text your friends in the USA, Philippines, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Canada, Pakistan, Kuwait and Thailand Show and tell: Capture and share photos and video in real-time Requires iOS 4.0 or higher Video is available for the iPhone 3GS/4, iPod Touch 4, and iPad 2 Recipients of SMS may be charged by their carriers Available to premium users in the US, Singapore, France, Germany and Spain

What's new in this version: Stay signed in to your chats on your iDevice and Windows PC at the same time receive messages only where you are active. Enabled Phone Out on iPad Improved stability and performance Available to premium users in the US, Singapore, France, Germany and Spain