Windows Mobile 6.5 Native Instant Messaging Apps

Windows Mobile 6.5, released in late 2009, served as Microsoft's final bridge between legacy stylus-driven PDAs and modern capacitive smartphones. During this era, mobile instant messaging relied on dedicated native clients compiled specifically for the Windows CE core and the .NET Compact Framework. This article outlines the major instant messaging applications that were natively developed for and operated on Windows Mobile 6.5.

Windows Live Messenger

The primary messaging solution for Windows Mobile 6.5 was the native mobile client for Windows Live Messenger (formerly Pocket MSN). Often bundled directly into carrier ROMs or distributed via Microsoft's .CAB installation files, the client fully integrated with the operating system. It supported status management, voice clip transfers, file sharing, emoticons, and integration with the Windows Live Contacts hub, allowing users to chat over the Microsoft Notification Protocol (MSNP).

Official Dedicated Clients

Several major instant messaging networks developed dedicated native applications for the platform:

  • Skype for Windows Mobile: Skype created a native application that ran on Windows Mobile Professional and Standard editions. It allowed instant messaging, presence status updates, and peer-to-peer VoIP over Wi-Fi and 3G connections. Skype eventually discontinued the client in 2010 just as Microsoft shifted focus to Windows Phone 7.
  • Yahoo! Messenger: Yahoo! provided an official native client tailored for Pocket PC and Windows Mobile touchscreens, supporting core text messaging, status updates, and contact grouping.
  • AOL Instant Messenger (AIM): AOL maintained a native Windows Mobile application featuring buddy lists, direct IMs, and rudimentary file transfers.
  • ICQ Mobile: The native ICQ client provided full access to ICQ networks, allowing direct messaging, SMS sending, and search functions using the classic UIN system.

Multi-Protocol Native Messengers

Because users frequently maintained accounts across multiple isolated networks, third-party multi-protocol clients were among the most popular native messaging downloads:

  • Slick (by Lonely Cat Games): A lightweight, native C++ application renowned for low memory consumption and high battery efficiency. Slick supported ICQ, Yahoo!, AIM, MSN, Google Talk (XMPP), and Jabber simultaneously.
  • Palringo: Built with a native interface, Palringo supported standard chat protocols alongside its own group chat channels, push-to-talk voice messaging, and photo sharing.
  • Nimbuzz: A native all-in-one messaging and VoIP suite that combined MSN, Yahoo!, ICQ, AIM, Google Talk, and Facebook Chat into a single contact list.
  • Fring: While primarily recognized as a mobile VoIP service, Fring functioned as a native IM aggregator that integrated Skype, MSN, ICQ, Google Talk, and Twitter.
  • Pigeon and mChat: Lightweight community-built native clients created exclusively for Windows Mobile to connect directly to the Jabber (XMPP) and ICQ protocols without the overhead of heavy commercial suites.

These applications were typically distributed directly by developers via .CAB setup archives or through the short-lived Windows Marketplace for Mobile, relying on the native Win32 API and RIL (Radio Interface Layer) to maintain persistent data connections over early 3G and GPRS networks.