Though you can find dozens of instant messaging apps on every platform, imo is our favorite on both iOS and Android. Three reasons: It's dead simple to use, it looks great, and it's free. The app supports all the big names — AIM, Facebook Chat, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, Yahoo, and more—and sends messages quickly and reliably. That's not so unusual. But where other IM apps make you pay for push notifications, imo gives them to you for free. And the slick interface eliminates many common annoyances. You can see at a glance which accounts are signed on, while a discreet status bar lets you know when all your accounts are up to speed — something other IM apps leave you guessing about.
WIRED Organizes chat sessions by tab. Gives you pop-up message previews on the iPad. In iOS, sessions run in the background for up to three days.
TIRED Doesn't let you specify how long to keep your session going.