ICQ 6

• Popularity:

  #10 in Chat (out of 662 products)

• License:

  Free

• Editor's Rating:

  5.0 stars

• Average User Rating:

  4.0 stars (out of 10731 votes) Rate it!

• Downloads:

  166,962,695

• Requirements:

  Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP/Vista

• Limitations:

  No limitations

• Date Added:

  April 17, 2007

• Previous Versions:

  Select a version ICQ 5.1 ICQ 5.04 ICQ Lite beta build 1068

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Publisher's description of ICQ

ICQ 6 provides users with an innovative communication experience and enables quick and simple interaction among users across all communication platforms. ICQ 6 offers the entire suite of digital and mobile communication tools available today, all integrated seamlessly in a single message window. ICQ 6 boasts an entirely new client infrastructure and a completely redesigned UI along with a fresh look and feel.

Innovations and improved features in ICQ 6 include:

* Quick IM--enabling users to send messages to contacts without opening a message window.
* Easy access simple navigation between incoming messages.
* Tabbed conversations--management of all active conversations in one message window by using tabs.
* History--new and improved search history of messages, files, and calls.
* Search capabilities--advanced and easy-to-use search through contacts, on ICQ, and on the web.

Editor's review of ICQ

• 5.0 stars

• "Chat your way"

This venerable chat client upgrades with a retooled look and enough Preference control to satisfy even the most obsessive fans of customization. ICQ 6 includes video, audio, and text chat modes in a strong push to make the app the most versatile chat client around.

Audio chatting was smooth and painless, although that depends on user connection, of course. There's also a new Quick IM feature that allows you to send a text chat from within your contact list. The text window is only one line high, but perfectly sized if you're just shooting off a quick note.

Many of the notable plug-ins have been folded into the new version as standard features. Standard fare in ICQ now includes SMS messaging and the Flash-movie tZers as well as alerts and skins. Consequentially, the quick-loading app has a larger footprint. Ad banners are nonexistent except in the built-in games, and all text chat histories are automatically saved. Some features, like Push2Talk, seem to have been phased out of the new version, and customizing tZers is no longer an option. Also, the Help option is non-functional in this release.

Despite a few minor setbacks, there are too many improvements to keep ICQ down. Other notable additions include split-screen compatibility, IM forwarding, and integrated Google searching. In enhancing its already rich feature set, ICQ has definitely increased its standing among its many competitors.

User reviews

• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 10731 votes
• My rating: 0 stars Write review

• Showing 5 of 348 user reviewsSee all 348 user reviews
  This software version | All versions

• 5 stars

  25 out of 32 people found this review helpful

  Version: ICQ 6

  "icq6 is great it works with windows vista"

  by Mike0000 on April 18, 2007

  Pros: icq6 is better than other versions of icq it looks like msn now...the interface is cool too... and its so fun to install it too....

  Cons: well the icq toolbar sucks it dose not work with ie7.... so i uninstalled it... besides that everything else is working good...

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• 1 stars

  11 out of 12 people found this review helpful

  Version: ICQ 6

  "INTERNET HIJACKER!"

  by adkiller2k7 on April 3, 2008

  Cons: check icq's website on siteadvisor.com every download is yellow including icq. it hijacks your homepage and search on ie

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• 1 stars

  18 out of 26 people found this review helpful

  Version: ICQ 6

  "Becoming worse and worse"

  by Professor_NEGATIVE on June 2, 2007

  Pros: Anything which AOL takes over is bound to become rotten with time. This version is obviously the worst of the lot. Gone are the days of Random Chats howsoever false most random users might have been. AOL has the knack of taking out all fun out of anything

  Cons: Only Cons. NOT WORTH IT EVEN IF ITS FREE.

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• 4 stars

  7 out of 11 people found this review helpful

  Version: ICQ 6

  "still solid"

  by FloridaSwamp on August 27, 2007

  Pros: I remember using this program all the time back in 2001. I now only use it when I speak with some of my friends back in Germany since it seems to be the one Instant Messenger that my fellow Germans seem to use.

  Cons: YIM has since passed this by. But the Germans still love this program!

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• 1 stars

  29 out of 38 people found this review helpful

  Version: ICQ 6

  "Crashed"

  by LunaVixen on May 1, 2007

  Pros: It looked "pretty" nice bright colors and other features, the nicest looking IM i've ever seen...

  Cons: ...but it crashed! A lot! When I removed it I had to hunt down lots (and lots!) of things, such as jpeg icons - still left in! if you do remove it I recommend a good "hunt" for the things it leaves behind.

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