Empathy (software)

Empathy is a discontinued free and open-source instant messaging (IM) application for Linux, Unix-like operating systems, and other platforms supporting the Telepathy framework. It aimed to provide a unified interface for multiple instant messaging protocols and technologies, allowing users to connect to various services within a single application.

Empathy utilized the Telepathy framework for its backend, which abstracted the underlying complexities of different IM protocols. This allowed Empathy to support protocols such as XMPP (Jabber), Google Talk (a variant of XMPP), AIM, Facebook Chat, MSN Messenger, and others through plugins or extensions. The separation of the user interface (Empathy) from the connection management (Telepathy) was intended to promote code reusability and modularity.

Key features of Empathy included:

• Multi-protocol support: Connecting to various IM services using a single application.
• Audio and Video calls: Support for voice and video communication over compatible protocols.
• File transfer: Sharing files with contacts.
• Integration with desktop environment: Notifications and integration with the system tray.
• Themes and customization: Options to personalize the look and feel of the application.
• Contact management: Organization and management of contacts across different IM services.

Empathy was initially developed and maintained by Collabora and was often included as the default IM client in several Linux distributions, notably GNOME. However, due to declining development and support, its use has diminished. Other instant messaging applications like Pidgin, Gajim, and instant messaging clients built into platforms like Telegram and Discord are now more commonly used. The Telepathy framework itself has also seen less active development. Despite being discontinued, Empathy remains an example of an attempt to create a unified and extensible IM client on open-source platforms.