imo Messenger 1.5.8.1 for Windows

imo Messenger 1.5.8.1 is the Windows app of imo, a cross-platform instant messaging and internet calling service that has been around since 2007. You can download imo Messenger for Windows free of charge from the official website imo.im and chat or call your contacts from a PC.

About imo

imo combines an instant messaging client with a softphone for voice over IP, so it covers both text chats and calls over the internet. Over the years it has had apps for many platforms, including Android, iOS, BlackBerry OS and Windows Phone, so people with very different phones could use the same service to stay in touch with family and friends. The Windows app brings the same account to the desktop. It is handy for people who prefer a big screen and a headset for long calls, for those who share files from a computer and for users whose relatives mainly use imo on their phones. If none of your contacts use imo, a messenger that your circle already relies on will be more practical, since a chat app is only as useful as the people you can reach in it.

Key facts

• Version: 1.5.8.1
• Developer: imo team
• Since: 2007
• Type: instant messaging client, VoIP softphone
• Platforms: Windows, Android, iOS (historically also BlackBerry OS and Windows Phone)
• Licence: proprietary, free
• Size: about 64.63 MB according to catalogue data

How to install it

1. Open the download page on imo.im and choose Windows.
2. Install the app and start it.
3. Sign in with the account you use on your phone and confirm the login if asked.
4. Connect a headset and test the microphone before an important call.

Privacy and safety

Use a strong phone lock and never share verification codes, because they give access to your account. Be careful with links and files from unknown contacts, a common way of spreading scams in messengers. Download imo only from imo.im; modified versions from other sites may contain malware. News about updates is published on the official imo blog.

Price

imo is free to download and use.

Better call quality

Use a wired connection or strong Wi-Fi, close programs that download large files during calls and choose a headset to avoid echo. If the other side hears you badly, check which microphone the app uses in its settings.

Keeping chats tidy

Mute busy group chats, archive old conversations and clear received files from the computer now and then to save disk space.

Pros and cons

• Pro: chats and calls in one app.
• Pro: same account on phone and PC.
• Pro: free.
• Con: useful only if your contacts use imo.
• Con: fewer desktop features than some rivals.

Alternatives

Other messengers for Windows in our listings: WhatsApp Desktop, Telegram Desktop, Viber, Signal and Zoom Meeting.