Proprietary Instant Messaging Apps vs Multi-Service Chat Apps on Android

The fragmentation problem

Instant messaging means real-time text chat between people over a network, and some apps also add voice or video. The author kept accounts with Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk, Skype, Facebook Chat, an old ICQ address and the new Google+ messaging. Each one connected the author to a different group of friends, so dropping any of them would cut off some contacts. Running a separate app for each service also drains a phone.

The proprietary services of the time

• iMessage: a messaging service between Apple device users. No Android app existed.
• ChatOn: a Samsung service for talking with other ChatOn users. It was not yet available in Canada.
• BBM: BlackBerry Messenger, loved by BlackBerry owners but limited to them. An Android version was described as coming soon.
• Skype or Fring: usable between Skype users, and with a paid plan also for calls to phones.
• Kik, LiveProfile and similar: apps for a closed circle of people.
• Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk, Facebook Messenger, Google+ messaging: each tied to its own user base.

Multi-service alternatives

• eBuddy: supported MSN, Facebook, Yahoo, AIM, ICQ, Google Talk, MySpace and Hyves. The author found it was slowing down their phone.
• IM+: supported Skype, Facebook, AIM, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, Jabber, Google Talk, MySpace, Vkontakte and Yandex IM.
• imo instant messenger: supported Skype, Facebook, Google Talk, MSN, ICQ and AIM, Yahoo, Jabber, VK and Hyves.

The author compared these to using one email client for many addresses.

The author’s conclusion

The argument was that a closed messenger only makes sense if it covers all of your contacts. Until then, the author planned to rely on multi-service apps and add one or two standalone ones.

Status today

Many of the services named here have since closed or changed, so treat this as a snapshot of the period.