Yahoo on Monday announced plans to shutter its public chat groups from Yahoo Messenger. The company announced the move along with plans to shut down other under-performing Yahoo programs found inside its Messenger and Yahoo Voice apps.

The abandonment of Yahoo Messenger public chat groups will go into effect on December 14, 2012 and along with that move Yahoo’s Pingbox service will also be shut down.

Yahoo will also closer Voice’s Phone In and Phone Out feature, that service will last through years end, shutting down January 30, 2013. The Phone In and Phone Out feature was already on its way out and as of November 30 customers could no longer add new funds to their accounts.

Users who are still active with funds in their accounts will receive an email in late December which will explain how to request a refund of those funds.

In the meantime Yahoo will continue to provide Messenger-to-Messenger calling.