Yahoo Messenger Getting Less Chatty With Loss of Windows Live Interoperability, Phone Calling

Yahoo is dropping several features that have been part of its Messenger chat service, the company confirmed in a Friday evening blog post.

The “phone in” and “phone out” capabilities, offered through a partnership with Jajah, will end as of Jan. 30. Yahoo stopped taking in new funds for accounts as of Friday, and said customers will be given information by Jajah on how to get refunds for any remaining balances. Yahoo said free voice calling from one Yahoo messenger user to another will continue to be offered.

Yahoo also said that interoperability with Windows Live Messenger will cease on Dec. 14. That one isn’t a huge shock, given that Microsoft is in the process of retiring the Windows Live Messenger service in favor of Skype.

Meanwhile, the company is also axing the Pingbox and public chat features of its instant-messaging program.

Emoticons were spared the ax, so feel free to send a friend a frowny face anytime.