Ah, Yahoo Messenger, how I'll miss ye. I remember back in the early 2000s, when I was still using a G3 under OS 8.6, and Yahoo Messenger was my go-to messenger. Sure, I had AIM - everyone used AIM - but my girlfriend had Windows and a webcam. In 2001, NO chat software for the Mac had any webcam support. Yahoo had my back. WeeChat (Linux, Windows, Mac OS X) WeeChat is yet another very powerful IRC Client. Important: In order to upgrade to Microsoft 365 or Office 2019, your Mac needs to meet the minimum operating system and hardware requirements.With the release of macOS 10.15 Catalina, Microsoft 365 for Mac and Office 2019 for Mac currently support macOS 10.15, 10.14, and 10.13. The new Find My app combines Find My iPhone and Find My Friends into a single, easy-to-use app that’s now available on the Mac. Use it to locate your friends and family, share your location, and find missing devices—even if they’re offline.
By Gina Barrow, Last updated: April 24, 2020
WeChat is a free messaging application that is supported by various smartphone platforms including iPhone, Android phones, Nokia, Blackberry and Windows phone.
Aside from using WeChat on mobile phones, it is also available for PC and Mac computers. If you are wondering – Do we really need to use WeChat for Mac since it is already available on mobile?
For those who are working on a Mac at home or office and chatting with someone on WeChat at the same time, most can end up distracted by switching from computer to phone from time to time.
There are also instances in which someone wants to share some documents or files via WeChat. Since your mobile phone might not have any compatible apps to open or view the files you received, you need to transfer the files from your phone to a computer.
Generally, when using WeChat for Mac, this task will be a lot easier. If you want an overview of how WeChat works, you should take time to read this article.
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An Introduction To WeChat
If you have not heard about WeChat before, you should check out this introduction. WeChat is an instant messaging application supported by various platforms including iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Java and Symbian. Aside from the usual functions such as group chats, sending of photos, music files, and voice notes, WeChat was able to introduce several functions that set it apart from other messaging applications.
Some of the notable functions of WeChat include the following:
- Colored stickers on chat. WeChat was able to integrate the ideal components of LINE and WhatsApp – you can utilize both stickers and emoticons without any charge when chatting.
- Live chat. You can start a live voice chat or group conversation. You now have a multi-user walkie-talkie that makes conversations convenient and fun at the same time, but only one person can speak at a time if the indicator light is green.
- Video call. When using the video call mode, conversations can be done face-to-face with friends. During a call, you can toggle between video and audio.
- Meeting new people online. The “Shake” feature allows you to shake your device to find other people nearby. Once the result list pops up, you can choose a contact that you are interested in and send a chat message to start a conversation.
- Chat using your computer. You can enjoy a much-awaited conversation with a friend by using a version of WeChat on your web browser.
- Share “Moments” using Facebook. The “Moments” features in WeChat is strikingly the same as posts on Facebook, but more emphasized on photos.
- In-built photo editing. If you want to edit your photos to be published on social networks or add a filter to your profile photo, this is possible in WeChat with its integrated photo editing feature.
What Are The Features Of WeChat For Mac?
After reading the features of WeChat, you might be thrilled to try it out. Remember though that there are slight differences for the WeChat version on Mac. Let us first take a close look at what features to expect when using the WeChat for Mac version.
- Manage your own WeChat user profile
- Free unlimited text messaging
- Easily send files between Mac and your mobile phone
- Share videos, photos, voice notes with WeChat contacts
- Send smileys, stickers and other graphical emoticons
- Capture screen on Mac and use in WeChat conversations
It does not come as a surprise that WeChat for Mac does not include several features as the iOS version. An example is the emoticons which are too simple. The Mac version loses several of its exciting functions which are only present on your iPhone such as drift, moments, voice calls, Walkie Talkie, video calls, etc. Unlike with the Windows version, there are also some missing features with the Mac version. With the Windows version, you can easily back up the chat history from a mobile phone to PC.
How Can I Use WeChat For Mac?
Primarily, you must download WeChat from the Mac App Store. Once installed on your Mac, open WeChat and you will be prompted to use the WeChat on mobile to scan the QR code to sign into WeChat on your Mac.
After the authentication, you also need to confirm the login again. On your mobile device, you will receive a message stating “Confirm your login to Mac WeChat”. Tap on the Enter button on your phone so that you can log in on WeChat for Mac.
When logging in next time on WeChat, you can skip the QR code scanning phase. Simply tap on the confirm login to Mac WeChat on your phone. At this point, you can start chatting with your friends or family using WeChat.
Can I use WeChat for Mac without any apps?
In case you decide not to install the WeChat for Mac app on your computer or simply want to use the app temporarily on your Mac, you can utilize “WeChat for Web”.
For this to work, simply visit the website for “WeChat for Web”. Once you go to the site, you can follow the instructions.
What Are The Compatible Versions?
If you want to use WeChat for Mac, you should note down on what macOS versions it is compatible with.
- Mac OS X 10.6/10.7
- OS X 10.8/10.9/10.10
The Mac version does not seem to work on Mac OS X 10.0, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5 or any earlier versions of the Mac OS X.
Aside from Mac users, WeChat is also compatible with iOS, Windows Phone, Android, Symbian S60/S40, BlackBerry and other operating systems.
Advantages Of Using WeChat For Mac
One of the main advantages of having the WeChat forMac application is that you can quickly type and reply to messages.
Aside from being able to chat with your WeChat friends and groups on your desktop, the application makes it easy to transfer files from your mobile device to your desktop and vice versa with its “File Transfer” feature. Simply move and drop your photos, media or any other file to the “File Transfer” folder or upload desktop files directly inside a chat window.
When you are logged into WeChat, any alerts will simply turn up on the menu bar of your computer without announcements on your phone. Another supported feature is “Sight” videos which allow users to preview the chat histories that were forwarded by friends and search contacts as well as groups.
Whether you enjoy easy chatting on your desktop, smartphone or iPad, WeChat continuously aims in innovating and providing its users with the ideal cross-platform social communication experience.
Internet technologies and protocols have witnessed continued development revolutionizing the way we connect and communicate with others. One such technology that has helped millions to connect and communicate with each other is the Internet Relay Chat better known as IRC.
Today, there are numerous IRC Clients across various platforms that enable you to chat anywhere and anytime. These are the applications used for interacting with IRC chat-rooms on Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux platforms.
If this sounds interesting to you, then you are in the right place as we have come up with a presentation showcasing 10 Best IRC Clients for Windows, Mac, and Linux. These best IRC Clients will have you chatting in a matter of few seconds.
So, get ready to explore these best IRC Clients which can make chatting a pleasurable experience for you. These are all capable IRC Clients, easy to use, extremely lightweight and heavily customizable.
They are loaded with powerful features. You need to put some basic details, and server information, and you’re instantly connected.
For those of you who are new to Internet Relay Chat (IRC) technology, let me quickly take you through its description.
Simply put, the Internet Relay Chat or IRC is a protocol that facilitates communication between multiple networked computers. It is a network of channels connected all across forming chat rooms.
These channels are hosted by servers which allow different individuals to talk with each other on common interests or current topics.
It offers numerous other features, including data transfers, chat rooms, and private one-on-one messages. IRC took the Internet scene somewhere around 1988 and reached its peak in the 1990s and the early 2000s.
IRC used to be a big thing in the past allowing communication with others. However, it still continues to command a big following. The fact that there are numerous IRC Clients for all platforms has made it popular with people from all across the globe.
So, let us look at the top 8 Best IRC Clients for Windows, Mac, and Linux which are popular nowadays.
10 Top IRC Clients for Windows, Mac, & Linux
1. WeeChat (Linux, Windows, Mac OS X)
WeeChat is yet another very powerful IRC Client. It’s a cross-platform chat client that runs on Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. So, if you are looking for a powerful and fast IRC Client for Linux, Windows, or Mac OS X, then you should surely check out WeeChat.
WeeChat comes as a “feather-light” (IRC) Chat Client that can be extended according to your needs.
In fact, there are numerous Plugins and Scripts available for it.
Moreover, WeeChat consists of the core features.
Its main power comes from the numerous plugins and scripts that support it. Plus, the plugins, as well as the scripts, can be loaded/unloaded dynamically in real-time (to the program).
WeeChat comes with the extensive feature set.
It includes full multi-server capabilities.
It has built-in support for seven scripting languages.
It offers incremental text search, robust script manager, and dynamic file filtering.
These are some of the core features of WeeChat.
It is even loaded with customization capabilities.
It allows you to tweak colors for nicknames that have been based on status, backgrounds and similar stuff.
Plus, there’s IPv6, SSL, and proxy support.
It is modular with multi-protocol architecture.
WeeChat is fully documented and an active project.
Lastly, it’s fully extendible with optional plugins.
2. Pidgin (Windows, Linux, Mac OS X)
Pidgin which was formerly known as Gaim comes as a multi-protocol instant messaging client for Windows and BSD. It is compatible with IRC, Yahoo, AIM (Oscar and TOC protocols), MSN Messenger, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, ICQ, and Zephyr networks.
Pidgin is easy to use.
It’s a cross-platform chat client that allows users to connect with several chat networks at the same time.
Pidgin is much more than just an IRC Client.
Pidgin functions as an all-in-one program for Internet messaging.
Pidgin supports multiple chat networks such as IRC, AIM, Google Talk, XMPP, Bonjour, MSN Plus, and many more.
The Pidgin users can log in to multiple accounts simultaneously on multiple IM networks.
So, with Pidgin, you can chat with friends on AOL Instant Messenger, talk to a friend on Yahoo Messenger, and can sit in an IRC Channel all at the same time.
Pidgin is based on a library named libpurple that can support many instant messaging protocols.
It is widely used for its Off-the-Record Messaging (OTR) plugin. It offers end-to-end encryption.
Pidgin supports the following features:
- It’s free software with active development
- It supports multiple chat networks
- It’s highly extensible with plugins
- Integrates with system tray on GNOME and KDE
Pidgin is a free chat client used by millions.
3. mIRC (Windows)
Undoubtedly, mIRC is one of the most popular IRC Client for Windows PC. mIRC comes loaded with powerful features. mIRC is easy to use. You are required to enter some basic details, and server information, and you are set to go with mIRC. It provides the option to connect with one of the many random global IRC servers that are preconfigured with mIRC.
It provides many robust features, including multiple configurable buddy lists, connections to multiple servers, simultaneous file transfers, customizable notification sounds, system tray notification, and lots more. Besides these features, mIRC offers a powerful scripting language for automating tasks. mIRC is available as a shareware program offering a 30-day trial.
4. HexChat (Linux, Mac OS X, Windows)
HexChat is a completely free IRC Client for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux systems. Its ease of use, customizable interface, cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux) makes it one of the most sorts after and highly popular IRC Client. Plus, it is multi-lingual, open source, and in active development. It is best for those who are looking for a simple yet efficient IRC Client.
With HexChat, you get a minimal dual column UI, making communicating over IRC a pleasurable experience. When you are connected to a server, you get to retrieve the channel list by using the Server menu option and can connect to the available channels.
Plus, you can access the list of active users and can trigger individual operations like file transfer, check user info, etc. HexChat is highly customizable as it features built-in Python and Perl scripting support. Other features in HexChat include direct file transfers, proxy support, spell checker, keyboard shortcuts, and network meters.
5. IceChat (Windows)
IceChat proclaims itself as “The Chat Cool People Use.” And it is a claim well made as IceChat is a very popular and extremely capable IRC Client. It lets you chat in a matter of few seconds. You just have to enter a nickname, choose an IRC server to connect to, and you are ready to chat with your friends.
It offers many pre-configured global servers that you can connect with. Plus, it allows you to configure custom server settings. Moreover, it’s completely free, so if you don’t wish to shell out money on IRC Client, then simply go with IceChat.
IceChat is highly customizable. It allows you to tweak everything, including chat fonts, background colors, global application themes, and the nickname lists.
Plus, you get other standard features as well as custom notifications; VBS based scripting, multiple server & channel support, etc. Another interesting aspect of IceChat is the availability of many plugins for it. These plugins allow you to run Google searches, follow Twitter feeds, and lots more.
6. Textual (Mac)
Textual has the status of being one of the leading applications for interacting with IRC chat rooms on Mac OS X. The best thing about Textual is the fact that it has been developed just for Mac, so there are no compatibility issues with it. You can download Textual from the App Store itself. Textual proves one of the most powerful IRC client applications for Mac OS X. It is a breeze to use.
Moreover, Textual has a stunningly designed multi-column UI having dark and light variants which makes it a pure visual delight on Retina devices. Textual has been studded with a stunning range of features which makes it suitable for any level of IRC user. There are basic options like Native Notification Center, Native Fullscreen support, many keyboard shortcuts, and a number of other basic features that make it a quality IRC Client.
Textual is very simple and easy to use. It is ultra clean and has features that make it suitable for both IRC newbie and power-users. It is lightweight yet powerful IRC Client having native IPv6 support, client-side certificate authentication, and full compatibility with IRCv3 specifications. Textual also offers full-text formatting, iCloud synchronization of preferences, ZNC integration, and auto-completion of nicknames and commands. Another very important highlight of Textual is its focus on user privacy which is catered to by using the Off the Record Messaging technologies.
7. XChat Azure (Mac)
XChat Azure is another very powerful, feature rich, and easy to use IRC client application on Mac OS X. It provides an easy way to connect via the IRC networks on Mac OS X devices. It’s certainly a quality IRC client application and the one that you should definitely check out if you use a Mac.
The best part being that XChat Assure is free to use. Loaded with various powerful features, XChat Assure makes it possible for you to connect with multiple IRC servers and channels thereby giving you the opportunity to have both general and private conversations easily.
Chat For Microsoft Teams
Plus, there are many regular goodies such as robust SSL support, full support for file transfers, and many useful keyboard shortcuts. And that’s not all; XChat Assure is an open source application. The full source code is hosted on GitHub.
8. Quassel IRC (Linux, Mac OS X, Windows)
Quassel IRC has been built on the philosophy of “Chat Comfortably. Everywhere.” And it does exactly what it is meant for helping you to have a pleasurable and comfortable chatting experience on all major platforms including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Android Smartphones.
Quassel comes as a modern, cross-platform, and distributed IRC Chat Client based on the Qt4 framework. It is also open source IRC client application. Being graphical, Quassel IRC works more than a simple screen and text-based IRC Client. It makes communication with your peers an easy and enjoyable experience. Quassel is distributed under the GPL and is free to download IRC Client.
9. ADIIRC (Linux, Mac OS X, Windows)
ADIIRC is a free IRC Chat Client. The best part is that ADIIRC is frequently updated, so you get added features in its every new release. It is loaded with a bunch of solid features which makes it one of the best IRC Clients for Mac, Linux, and Windows platforms.
ADIIRC is fairly easy to use IRC Client. Some of its notable features include dual column UI, multiple server connections, file transfers, proxy and SSL support, full message logging, MTS themes, spellchecker, monitor panels, IRCv3 compatible, and much more.
10. Colloquy (Mac)
Colloquy is another very popular Mac IRC chat client that has the look and feel which you expect in a standard Mac app. It comes as free and open source IRC Client. Colloquy supports features that are usually needed by advanced users, including file transfer support, and even support for mIRC colors. Scripting is also supported via AppleScript.
Chat Mac Os
Simply put, Colloquy proves an excellent solution for communicating over IRC when you are on Mac OS X. Colloquy offers auto-completion for nicknames, emoticons, as well as IRC commands.
Colloquy offers organized Colloquies showing all your conversations in a glance. It can also be configured to highlight messages when your nickname or some specific words are used in conversations. Plus, it offers a number of other handy features which go on to make Colloquy one of the best IRC Client for Mac.
Wechat For Mac Os X
We hope that this list of 10 Best IRC Clients for Windows, Mac, and Linux proves immensely useful to you. So, what’s your choice of IRC Client? Do let us know your preferred IRC Client in the comments section below. We always welcome your comments and suggestions. If you liked the post, please go on to share it with your friends and colleagues.