Why it shut down

Why did ICQ shut down?

The 20-year decline behind a one-line shutdown notice

11 August 2026 · 1 min read · part of ICQ

ICQ shut down on 26 June 2024 because its last owner VK consolidated messaging into VK Messenger. The deeper answer is a 20-year decline.

The short version

  • Peak: ~100 million registered accounts in 2001
  • 2010: sold to DST for a third of its 1998 price
  • 2024: VK pulls the plug

Read the full record at ICQ.