Manage updates with the Download AppCNET Editors' review
Yahoo Messenger has been a staple of audio and text chats for a long, long time, and video chats are now handled without problem. The latest version of Yahoo Messenger adds enhancements to contacts and friends lists, as well as support for newsfeeds and visual tweaks. Yahoo Messenger installs easily but does require a free account.
Yahoo Messenger has long been used for text chats, for which it was a favorite app. The addition of audio and video chats put Yahoo Messenger up against a lot of other similar products, but it has remained a popular app on Windows. Each iteration has added new features and capabilities, and added things like radio streams, games, and more configuration options. Yahoo Messenger integrates with other Yahoo services like email.
We've used Yahoo Messenger for a decade and it's still a favorite messenger tool for many. With the new release tweaking some things and enhancing others, it gets better every time. While the video quality sometimes seems to drop more than we like, and there's an increasing number of ads for other Yahoo products, we still find Yahoo Messenger is a go-to app.
Yahoo Messenger 9.0:Publisher's Description
From Yahoo:
Yahoo Messenger is a free service that allows you to see when friends come online and to send them instant messages. It also can alert you to new e-mail in your Yahoo Mail or Yahoo Personals accounts, or when you have upcoming events recorded in your Yahoo Calendar. Yahoo Messenger offers firewall support, a standby mode that minimizes the program until an Internet connection is made, the ability to save and print your conversations, and a tabbed interface that provides quick access to your favorite stocks, news, and sports scores.
Other features include the ability to create a chat room automatically, stock price alerts, the ability to send messages to friends (even if they're not online when you are), a Quick Compact mode that hides the Messenger tools to maximize your viewing area, Messenger Themes, and voice chat, which allows you to talk for free to anybody else on the Internet. It also includes Launchcast Radio, Yahoo Games, and Yahoo Audibles. Using a Webcam, you can see who you're chatting with or view the Webcam of any Yahoo member who has granted you access.
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All versions:
3.2 starsout of 1,383 votes
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Current version:
2.6 starsout of 14 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"A disgrace..."
Version: Yahoo Messenger 11.5.0.228
Pros
Has the ability to leave offline messages, which the recipient gets upon logging in even if the sender is no longer online. Allows setting yourself visible only to certain contacts. Both features are nice and Skype does not have them. However, read on..
Cons
This software has got worse and worse over the years. Voice calls barely make it through now, and most of the time you just get ringing on one side and a frozen call warning window on the other, with the ability to press Answer only long after the caller has hung up.
Offline messages are only delivered about one out of 5 cases, with the rest of them being "lost" somewhere in space.
Message history only sometimes shows you the most recent messages written, other times it just says that history cannot be retrieved.
And many other bugs that no-one cares to fix, and which make YM unusable.Summary
What's more, there is absolutely no support for this software, and the big company behind it don't mind it making a complete mockery of their name. I've submitted error reports countless times, pleading with them to release a new version that fixes the above-mentioned bugs. No response to date, and no new version for years.
I myself am giving this wreck of a messenger up, after many years of use, in favour of its much stronger competitors, Gmail and Skype. -
"Works well most of the time"
Version: Yahoo Messenger 11.5.0.228
Pros
Yahoo messenger has problems when trying to upload pictures.
Cons
Yahoo messenger has problems when trying to upload pictures.
Summary
In order to get Yahoo Messenger to upload pictures, I h ave to run it through Mozilla Firefox.
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"What about Windows 8?"
Version: Yahoo Messenger 11.5.0.228
Pros
Used for years, mainly to notify me that I have yahoo mail. Worked great on XP, Vista, Windows 7. With so many other applications out there, Facebook etc, it's usefulness as a messaging tool diminished.
Cons
I have upgraded to Windows 8 Pro and messenger continually freezes up my PC. It has been checked thoroughly and Yahoo Messenger is the culprit. We need a 2013 release pronto.
Summary
I use only for mail alerts and to see when friends are on line.
Useless with Windows 8 since once or twice a day my PC freezes. I have uninstalled it and now no more freezes. I cannot find a version that says compatible with Windows 8 so will leave it alone until then. If you have Windows 7, it is great! -
"Really Really good"
Version: Yahoo Messenger 11.5.0.228
Pros
All in one
Integration with FB and others
pop up notes of all kindsCons
To many ads
not as good in groupsSummary
Glad it's not going away
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"Don't download I'll tell you why."
Version: Yahoo Messenger 11.5.0.228
Pros
I uninstalled this software after I found what it did.
Cons
no option to not install "coupon companion" or the "yahoo toolbar" it just does it. or if there was an option to avoid them it didn't work.
coupon companion seems to be easy enough to uninstall thus far but the tool bar never seems to entirely leave. I disabled it using the addon function in fire fox then I uninstalled it using revo-uninstaller but the option to have the tool bar in fire fox under options still remains.Summary
In summery I don't know if the messenger works and who cares look shady nature yahoo.
this is most certainly a virus trap. shame on yahoo. lets boycott them completely.
Updated on Feb 26, 2013 -
"Do Not even try to install this"
Version: Yahoo Messenger 11.5.0.228
Pros
Seemed like a good thing at the time
Cons
I got a virus when downloading it from CNET, the Messenger never downloaded, it did nothing but put a virus on my computer.
Summary
Please be careful trying to download it
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"http://techymantra.com/"
Version: Yahoo Messenger 11.5.0.228
Pros
http://techymantra.com/
Cons
http://techymantra.com/
Summary
http://techymantra.com/
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"MANY HOURS & 5 DAYS OF "FAILED TO PROPERLY INSTALL"!"
Version: Yahoo Messenger 11.5.0.228
Pros
???????????????
CAN'T LOAD TO TRY! FINALLY LOADED!Cons
PROGRAM LOADED: FREEZES, STOPS, WILL NOT SEND EMAIL, LOCKS UP, RESTARTING! ASKS YOU TO SIGN IN REPEATEDLY! TIME AFTER TIME - SIGN IN- GET BROWSER- TRY TO E-MAIL-CLICK SEND THE EMAIL OR SEND TO DRAFT & FREEZES UP & MSGS,-'DRAFT FAILED TO SEND TO:'-"DRAFT'S" OR EMAIL FAILED TO SEND! TRY TO USE, GET THE "TIME HAS EXPIRED! RE-SIGN IN B.S. SIGN IN EVERY 5 MIN! BEFORE GETTING IT TO WORK WITH PREFERENCES-SET FOR "SIGN IN EVERY TWO WEEKS" VERSION 11.5.0 IS TRASH!
CLICK IN BOX- AND GET NOT USABLE! CONNECTION NOT AVAILABLE OR TEN EXCUSES! WAIT FOR THE IN BOX! 'BROWSER TO COME UP AFTER CLICKING ON TASK BAR, MAIN BROWSER SIDE & TOOL BAR SETTINGS, MAIL IN TOOL BAR FAVORITES! ETC.
'SEND TO BOX' MESSAGE SAYING "DEFAULT MAIL PROGRAM NOT INSTALLED" DUMB A$$ PROGRAM... YOUR SETTINGS!
NOT USABLE TO SEND PAGE!
HELP "NOT AVAILABLE TO SET IN WINDOWS VERSION{7}SEVEN"?
WHY HAVE A "SENT TO: BUTTON" ON THE TOOL BAR IF IT DOES NOT WORK OR SETTABLE & USABLE EXCEPT IN INSTANT MSG. MODE AND NOT FOR EMAIL ALSO?Summary
FIRE FOX --- WHOOPS YAHOO'S BUTT!
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"It would not install"
Version: Yahoo Messenger 11.5.0.228
Pros
I always have like yahoo messenger but this version would not install n my windows 8 laptop
Cons
It can not be install, the installation requires to be direct or to have less publicity, I really don't know is just not installing.
Summary
it doesn't work, needs to be fix
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"YM has really slacked off over the past few yrs."
Version: Yahoo Messenger 11.5.0.228
Pros
Ummm .... I can't really think of anything good to say about YM other than it's free.There,that's my big whopping list of pros.
Cons
70-80% of the time there seems to be 1 issue or another.Be it crashing or just plain ol freezing up to where you can't type anything.The Yahoo! people have really dropped the ball & w/each new version the problems become more & more evident.There once was a day (about 8 yrs ago or so) that YM was the best free chat service imo but now,it's nothing more than a run of the mill so-so service.I've even go so far as to email Yahoo! w/a list of problems but they just don't seem to care nor have they addressed solving any of the problems.
Summary
I can no longer honestly tell my friends to download any of the YM versions b/c I know they don't work very well & It really doesn't look like Yahoo! cares to fix the existing problems to make their chat service any better.It seems that they have settled for being average & that is truly sad.
