Meebo IM

As a Web-based tool, Meebo IM is flexible and adaptable in ways that client-based tools like the Android IM app can't match. The Meebo Android app restricts you to adding only a subset of your IM accounts--including such popular services as AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN Live Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger, and the IM services that Meebo provides to the Facebook and MySpace social networks--directly.

In contrast, the Web-based Meebo supports 54 different instant messaging services and social networks (at last count). To use more than the 8 services listed above, you must create a Meebo account, log in to Meebo through a regular Web browser on a computer, and add your other IM or social network account details to the account. Then, when you log in to the Meebo Android app, all of your accounts and friend lists will appear there. If your Meebo account is configured to store instant message history or logs, those will be saved if you use the Android client, but you'll need to use the browser-based Meebo client to access them.

Meebo suffers from the same problems that many other IM clients do on mobile devices. Where network coverage is spotty, your IM accounts may often lose connection and log you out. Also, spim (spam over IM) may attain a new level of power to aggravate when your phone constantly beeps at you to read a new message. But if you need to stay in touch over IM, Meebo is among the best Android IM clients--free or paid--you can use.