MSN Messenger needs to return in Windows 12 to take on WhatsApp and iMessage

A wink and a nudge for 2024

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Microsoftseems to be on a mission to look at every aspect of Windows in recent years, withPaint,Notepad,andWindows Media Playerall getting their own glow-ups. But its messaging side could do with some attention.

If you remember the late 2000s, a big way of messaging friends after school, at least for me, was usingMSN MessengeronWindows XP. Between 2001 and 2007, it was the go-to way of keeping in touch with many, a messaging tool where you could add emojis to your name, which was way ahead of its time, alongside much more.

While Windows already has messaging apps, such as Skype, it’s not hit the ground running likeWhatsApporApple’siMessageservice has. So instead, Microsoft should use this opportunity to position a rebooted MSN Messenger as its mainWindows 12messaging app, alongside making it available on as many platforms as possible.

Why is MSN Messenger still highly regarded?

Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, and even loading up version 6 of Messenger from 2004 onWindows 11back in 2022 brought plenty of memories back for me. Logging on after school and talking about nothing in a bunch of group chats was something many of us did.

But for others, it was also a great way to catch up on some work from days that may have overrun, especially as you could transfer files to one another.

As this was before social media was even a thing (well, MySpace was trying), MSN Messenger was a big factor in changing perceptions of exactly what a PC was. It was slowly changing from being something individuals used in a darkened room, to kids asking parents if they could use the family computer to talk to their friends.

It was a rare time when Microsoft was ahead of the curve, and it would quickly bring in updates that came with more emojis, Nudges that would send screen-shaking popups to your conversational partners, and the ability to ‘Appear Offline’, so you could stay online but be invisible to others - as well as webcam support, a rarity in those days.

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But of course, Microsoft ‘did a Microsoft’, and started rebranding the app with a different name in 2006 with ‘Windows Live Messenger’, alongside a new look. But this only hastened its decline, and combined with MySpace, Facebook, and Bebo coming to the fore,it was discontinued in 2013.

Nowadays, messaging apps are all around us, and while social media platforms seem to be either chronically mismanaged or drawing only boredom from existing users, it could be the perfect time when MSN Messenger is rebooted and relaunched as the main messaging app on Windows.

Make it the iMessage of Windows 12

When you first boot into an Apple device, whether that’s aMacor aniPhone, you’re able to send a message to someone in less than five minutes. Try doing this inWindows 11, and you’ll have to try and log intoSkype, or WhatsApp for desktop - but these both require you to download the apps first.

That’s a problem for those who want to use a new laptop or tablet to communicate right away - that ease and speed of use for messaging simply isn’t there in Windows. But for a new MSN Messenger inWindows 12that’s pre-installed, just like Apple’s Messages app, there could be.

Apple has been digging its heels in about not allowing iMessage on Android and Windows, and for good reason. Assome emails have said from Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President (SVP) of software engineering at Apple, it would be one less reason for some users to switch from Android and Windows.

But this could be an opportunity for Windows. Its CEO, Satya Nadella, has always been a big proponent of having Windows as a service, and the same can apply here to MSN Messenger. Having an app that takes the privacy of Apple, the design ofTelegram, and the nostalgia of what Messenger was in 2002, could be a great draw for many.

Yet this could just be the start of this new app. It would mix in well with its Surface line, especially theSurface Duo 2 smartphone, and nudges and winks could be resurrected as notifications and message effects, working across a bunch of devices and platforms.

It’s time for Microsoft to take Messaging seriously

WhileWindows 11has had its fair share of fans and foes due to its redesign of the Taskbar, Explorer, and plenty else, it also acts as a good feedback form for Microsoft to see what users want in Windows 12.

SeeingMedia Playerfinally get a return in 2022 was a sign to me that Microsoft isn’t afraid anymore of going back to apps from the past that worked well. This is why MSN Messenger could give its messagingarma big level up.

While it offers itsMicrosoft 365Office Suite,Xbox gaming app, and music offerings, there’s no consumer messaging app to help tie it all together - no matter how hard it tries to push Teams. I’m not going to use Teams, Mr Nadella.

So let’s seeWindows 12launch with the return of MSN Messenger, where you can start messaging friends and family with a nudge and a wink for the modern age - all while being able to access it on your Android and iPhone devices, and perhaps soon, yourVision Proheadset.

Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he’s written a book, ‘The Making of Tomb Raider’. His second book, ‘50 Years of Boss Fights’, came out in 2024, with a third book coming in 2025. He also has a newsletter called ‘Springboard’. He’s usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that’s about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.

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