Third-party Discord app brings back MSN Messenger but there’s a catch

A new third-party Discord app brings back the iconic MSN Messenger theme, but there’s a rather big catch.

Discord has taken over the internet since its launch in 2015, becoming the most-used live messaging app since the days of MSN, AOL, and ICQ.

Many have long wanted to revisit the old days of MSN and Windows Live Messenger, and a new third-party Discord app does just that.

When Aerochat starts up, it offers your DMs, friends list, and server list in a dedicated window. When you double-click on a chat or server, it opens up a separate window just like the old days.

According to their website, it has “tons of features you know and love from the official client, such as voice chat, file transfers, and more.” the app also brings back nudges, which shakes the window for your client — but simply sends “[nudge]” into the chat for regular Discord users.

Aerochat

However, using the app has a pretty big catch. Discord’s Terms of Service prohibit the use of third-party services like Aerochat. The company even mentions this in the FAQ section of its website.

“It depends on what your use case is. Discord’s Terms of Service prohibits against the usage of third-party
clients (like AeroChat), so if you value your Discord account, you should not install AeroChat. AeroChat is still in early development, which means there are features missing that would be considered standard in
something like Discord,” it reads.

As they say on the website, the app is, in fact, missing some major features to make it usable, regardless of the chances of it getting your account banned. The biggest issue is that GIFS don’t work. Instead, it just shows the URL to the Tenor or Giphy website for you to click on.

You can reply to users, and they can reply to your comments as well — but you can’t actually see what message they reply to. It makes for a rather confusing conversation, and makes it pretty hard to use in the process.

Regardless, it’s a great project from the developers and will bring back a bit of nostalgia for some users.