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iChat 6 Yahoo invisible mode problem

Hi there.

At first glance it was really great hearing that iChat finally supports Yahoo!.

But here is the big problem that makes iChat useless once again for me:

I always login to Yahoo messaging service in "invisible" mode.

In iChat when I log in and I lost the connection for any reason (e.g. VPN connection is lost)

and then let iChat logs in when the connection is there again I become "Available" to the list of my friends then afterwards iChat sets my status to invisible.

So every time that this happens everybody knows that I'm there.

The problem goes even furthur. When I log out of Yahoo in iChat, using either contextual menu or Command+L, and then log in to Yahoo! again the same things happen. iChat makes me available and then invisible.

Logging in as invisible only works when you yourself quitted iChat last time without logging out or loosing the internet connection.

The problem goes even furthur. I just realized that when iChat app is not running it uses push notification to launch when someone sends me an IM. Thus, iChat runs itself, like FaceTime when you receive a call while it is not running, and you see that message. This push notification is both good and bad.

Good: I like push notification and the whole idea about that.

Bad: I cannot disable this AND even when iChat is not running and you lost your internet connection or make a vpn connection to your workplace or somewhere else, you become available to your friend list and then "invisible". (Do not forget that all these happens, altough that you are not running iChat).

This is soooooo bad, because everybody will find out that I am at my computer, even though that I the App is not running. Sigh again!

Any idea how to solve this problem or just Apple should fix it??

P.S. If Apple does not fix the problem and or there is no workaround I think they should just forget about advertising of Yahoo support in iChat, since the whole philosophy of invisible mode is blown and I think invisible mode in Instant messaging is something that we cannot just forget about it.

So till then back to Adium. Sigh!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Jul 29, 2011 3:44 AM

19 replies

Aug 28, 2011 11:40 AM in response to alex2c

Hi,

That is very useful investigating.

It would seem that Yahoo via their own app has more "Invisible/Stealth settings than iChat does.

They don't seem to have those options available for change on their Web Site/Account settings

I would also be wary of the Default Login period (Red Arrow) if you tend to leave a Yahoo Page rather than specifically logging out. (The drop down allows to you to change it to "A Day")

It does not provide other options such as Stealth or Invisible.

None of the other settings seem to do anything either on the stealth/invisible front.

7:39 PM Sunday; August 28, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Aug 29, 2011 8:19 AM in response to alex2c

I can confirm that this workaround helps but also makes iChat somehow useless since you cannot make yourself available or change your status (such as surfing web,...).

I also tried connection drops and all cases that I mentioned in my question and the workaround has worked.

I hope that Apple/Yahoo! repairs it. Right now I'm using Adium and gave up using iChat.

By the way thanks for the help 😉

Carlo TD

Level 3

564 points

Dec 23, 2011 3:57 PM in response to linked.account

try this... it is not a very good way but might work... in the general tab of the preferences, take the check mark out of show all accounts in one list. You will get mutiple windows, and to switch from windows you will have to either select command+1,2,3,4.... or go to window, and choose the window, but you might be able to start invisibly.

this was ment to be replied to the original post.

Message was edited by: Carlo TD

Dec 24, 2011 11:46 AM in response to Carlo TD

HI,

Since my post in August I have since bought a Lion able iMac and can confirm that if you have separate Buddy Lists then the Yahoo one can be set to Invisible.

7:46 PM Saturday; December 24, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

iChat 6 Yahoo invisible mode problem