After valiantly screaming into phone lines since 1991, AOL’s iconic dial-up internet service is finally hanging up its hat. That glorious symphony of screeches, beeps, and static that made you lose your phone line forever? Yeah, it’s officially retiring on September 30, 2025.
Was it fast? Nope. Did it make you want to throw your computer out the window? Absolutely. But did it connect you to those late-night chat rooms, pixelated message boards, and oh-so-important animated GIFs? You bet your buffering browser it did.
To the brave few still dialing in today, whether out of nostalgia or because the broadband gods haven’t reached your remote corner yet, prepare to say goodbye to your internet’s original dial tone.
Dial-up, you may be gone, but your screeching war anthem will echo forever in our hearts (and ears).
