

The mid-2000s saw us with desktop-based apps such as Skype and Google Talk, allowing users to talk face-to-face with people across the world.Ĭhat apps as we know them today are a response to our desire for mobile communication abilities. The first SMS was launched by Vodafone GSM in 1992, then throughout the mid to late 90s, messenger and chat rooms such as MSN and Yahoo! became popular. Let’s take a look at how chat apps are evolving: Chat apps – a brief historyīelieve it or not, chat apps actually date back to the 1980s, when Compuserve released CB Simulator, the first dedicated online chat service that was widely available to the public. We seem to see more technology developed in the messaging space, almost on a monthly basis as companies vie to become the app of choice.

Where they used to be a fun novelty, they’re evolving to be essential tools for running businesses and keeping up with distant family or friends. We’ve taken to these apps and are now integrating them into our daily work and personal lives. Chat apps make an annual appearance in lists of the most downloaded apps.
