ICQ Messenger for Android is a very streamlined messaging app with a lot of free and fun emoticons to choose from.

ICQ Messenger is minimalist in design and presentation, which is a good thing, because it appropriately places the focus on fast and smooth messaging, not redundant gimmicks. The best part of all, is it’s completely free.

I don’t know how they do it, but ICQ Messenger offers a lot of bang for the rock bottom price of absolutely free. You can send SMS, do live video chats, make calls and send a host of emoji, all for free. The emoticon selection is outstanding. I don’t know why it’s so difficult for these apps to get it right, but somehow, ICQ Messenger has integrated dozens and dozens of stickers and smileys that don’t bog down their messaging app or speed. Better still, all the various emoticon packs are completely free. My favorites were the pandas and some of the comical smileys. There’s a lot to choose from, and each pack is conveniently accessible via small footprint tabs, available directly on the messaging screen.

The app can make use of your existing contacts, or you can easily add them via the streamlined interface. You will need to confirm your phone number via SMS code during setup, but it's a simple process that takes less than a minute.

The app is laid out nicely. It’s perhaps a little old fashioned in look and execution, but the performance was rock solid for me. What this app lacks in presentation is totally compensated for with excellent performance.

ICQ Messenger is nothing fancy, but it does the job well. What it lacks in bells and whistles is made up for with solid performance.