AOL, now a Yahoo brand owned by Apollo Global Management, will discontinue its dial-up internet service on 30 September 2025, ending a technology that introduced millions of households to the web in the 1990s. The company disclosed the decision in a support notice, saying the shutdown follows a routine review of products. The move also retires the AOL Dialer and AOL Shield browser, applications optimised for 56 kbps connections and older operating systems. AOL said the change will not affect email accounts or other subscription benefits attached to its legacy plans. AOL launched consumer dial-up access in 1991 and became the United States’ largest internet provider, topping roughly 25 million subscribers by 2000. Census and industry data suggest only a few hundred thousand U.S. households—largely in rural or infrastructure-poor areas—still rely on dial-up, a fraction of the more than 100 million broadband subscribers. The shutdown underscores the near-complete transition to faster cable, fibre, wireless and satellite networks. While niche providers may continue offering dial-up in isolated markets, AOL’s exit closes a defining chapter of early consumer internet history—along with its familiar modem screech and “You’ve Got Mail” greeting.