Yahoo Messenger was a popular instant messaging service launched by Yahoo in 1998. It allowed users to send text messages, share files, and engage in voice and video calls. The platform also featured chat rooms and the ability to customize user profiles with avatars and status messages. Over the years, Yahoo Messenger evolved with new features, but it faced increasing competition from other messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Ultimately, Yahoo discontinued the service in July 2018, marking the end of an era for many users who had relied on it for communication.