Can I use iChat with my new iCloud address?

Hi,

It should work.

Adding the iCloud name to either the Mail App, the System Preferences > Contacts, Mail etc. pane sould allow iChat to Access it (it will also work if you add it to iChat that any Email will be seen by Mail (if the name looks like an Email) )

10:27 PM Friday; October 14, 2011

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 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

For me, it works in iChat, but it does not work in all other aim clients (bad password error)

What's the problem there?

Hi,

Since this thread started I have bought a new iMac myself and now have a machine capable of booting into Lion.

I too have created an iCloud @Me.com name based on my iPhone's ability to run iOS 5.

I have found that this name only works in iChat 6

It will not work in iChat 5 in Snow Leopard on my MacBook Pro (it is Core Duo and can't run Lion).

This is the case if I use the api.oscar.aol.com server name in iChat 5 as well.

As iChat is signing in to the AIM servers and these are checking with the Apple Servers for the details and it is not iChat checking with Apple directly I am not sure how this is getting blocked by Non Lion/iChat 6 apps.

It is a very long time before iChat 5 tells me that the account cannot Login.

6:57 PM Thursday; December 8, 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

Message was edited by: Ralph Johns (UK)

So, has anyone been able to get their iCloud/ @me.com username to work in iChat 5 for Snow Loepard?

I have the same problem.

My home computer runs iChat 6 and I can login no problem, but my work computer running iChat 5 says gives me a 'invald AOL instant messenger username / password' message.

Does any one have any ideas? Thanks

Hi,

iChat 6 does at least two logins when you have an @me.com address.

It logs in to AIM for the IM and Chat side but it also logs in to me.com

As far as I can tell this login to Me.com allows the AIM Servers to "See" the me.com password.

It does not work as iChat 5 or earlier do not login to me.com.

It has another effect where you cannot login to AIM here (https://settings.aim.com/) to change any of the settings with an iCloud issued @me.com name and change the settings.

This means some Privacy settings cannot be changed leaving you somewhat exposed.

8:05 PM Wednesday; February 8, 2012

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.3)
 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

I'm pleased to find this discussion. I'm surprised there aren't more people asking about this.

Apparently when Apple introduced iCloud, they quietly modified their chat login procedure. I found this comment on an Adium discussion board:

AOL/Apple changed the authentication method for new iCloud accounts. This will have to be fixed in libpurple before it'll work again in Adium.

This means I have to use iChat (a recent version) in order to IM via my iCloud id. Fine when I have my Mac available, but impossible when using another platform (for example at work).

When I do a web search on this topic, not much comes up. So I'm guessing that this isn't considered a very important problem to solve. Given how most people have logins with several chat servers anyway (I know I do!), perhaps it isn't so important to support iCloud. Still, it would be nice.

Bark!

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention....

Within "Messages" (the new beta), if you go to Preferences and click on your iCloud account, there's a button:

Now this is proof positive that they didn't think this through! The button sends you to the AIM web site where it asks you for your Username/Email and Password. But of course, as Ralph points out, it doesn't actually let you log in.

Bark!

Any news on that?

Hi,

In System Preferences > Network > Advanced Button > DNS tab add a Public DNS server

Google do at least two, 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

Any greyed out DNS servers listed are being passed through the routing device.

It may also pay to write these down than enter those manaully as well.

6:37 PM Saturday; April 28, 2012

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.3)
 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

You must be completely mistaken!

Did you know what topic we were eriting about?

HI,

Yes.

Sometimes iChat cannot connect to the servers properly.

This seems to be a DNS issue.

It seems to effect iChat 6 and Messages beta more than other versions.

In the case of an iCloud Name which is also a Valid AIM Screen Name (as per the Original Post you Linked to) the issue is related to a dual login that iChat 6 and Messages do to both e AIM servers and to me.com.

The Login to me.com allows the AIM servers to "See" the password and to allow Login.

For this reason an iCloud name will not work in iChat 5 and Earlier - nor can you use it on the AIM settings pageas you can with earlier Apple IDs.

I was presuming you had rest the rest of the thread and tried those ideas.

It should also be noted that an Apple ID that ends in either @mac.com or @me.com (whether issued under MobileMe or iCloud) are both Apple IDs and Valid AIM Screen Names. (they may or may ot be active emails as well)

This is not so important in iChat as it is Messages Beta where an Apple ID is also used for the iMessage side of the Messages beta.

If you are using an APple ID of this type to sing into AIM then the password needs to be 16 characters or less.

This is an AIM server limit - whilst the various Apple ID registration pages encourage longer passwords.

You may need to shorten your password (Use iForgot)

11:06 PM Saturday; April 28, 2012

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.3)
 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

Yeah, but there must be a solution for that.

It must be possible to use an AIM account with other apps than iChat 6.

I was having a MobileMe subscription, always used my @me.com ID for AIM, means, also in BeeJive, AIM for Windows, etc...

At iCloud launch, I upgraded to iCloud.

But unfortunately, Apple cancelled my MobileMe membership 2 weeks later.

(It was due to a fraudulent membership extension of my MobileMe account. I thought I could buy a cheap membership extension on ebay, the seller had good ratings. But: He extended my account by requesting my login information (I changed my password temporarily), after that, I found that I had another year.

But - later I wondered why my iDisk space shrunk to 5GB.

I discovered that my account turned into a family sub-account.

That made me a bit angry, but the real mess began, when my MobileMe account was suddenly inactive as I mentioned (As strange as it sounds, I already upgraded to iCloud. So I had an active iCloud membership as well as an active MobileMe membership.) Well - after 2 weeks, I could not access my iDisk anymore. Nor could I use the gallery.

iCloud services remain completely unaffected.

Now, since my MobileMe membership became inactive, I could not login at AIM using any other client than iChat 6.

I am angry about my special case - but:

I suppose the same will happen to every MobileMe/iCloud-account this summer, when MobileMe services will be shut down.

The question is:

Why are Apple IDs not working on other AIM clients anymore (not even at least on AIM.com!!!), since the launch of iCloud?

HI,

The issue stems from how you create an iCloud ID.

This can be done from scratch and by using an existing Apple ID.

In my own case I used an email that did not come from Apple as my Apple ID

I then used this to create my iCloud ID.

It then turns out I can access everywhere with either the Original email ID or the iCloud (@me.com) ID using the same Password.

This works for logging here at Discussions, iTunes, The App Store, The On-line Store and even the ID support site: Manage Page

The iCloud ID never appears in any of these Apple site logins, only the Original ID does.

In the case of MobileMe names it seems that it creates a two Name set up the same way but in fact both can have the same Name as in joemith@me.comjust that the iCloud one is hidden all the time.

Some people are finding that they are being asked to discontinue their MobileMe account at this point.

This then stops access to the MobileMe account stuff such as the iDisk, any web site or galleries created as the iCloud part cannot access those either.

It also stops the name working with AIM leaving only the iCloud method which needs iChat 6 or Messages Beta.

All MobileMe accounts will come to an end by the end of June 1012 anyways.

http://www.apple.com/mobileme/transition.html

On the other front, about the why these Names don't work, I did already say:-

...the issue is related to a dual login that iChat 6 and Messages apps do to both the AIM servers and to me.com.

The Login to me.com allows the AIM servers to "See" the password and to allow Login.

For this reason an iCloud name will not work in iChat 5 and Earlier - nor can you use it on the AIM settings pageas you can with earlier Apple IDs.

To be clear:-

iChat 1 through 5 login to AIM (later versions may also login to a Jabber server).

This AIM login was essentially on port 5190.

With the long standing agreement between Apple and AIM meant that the AIM servers can verify the passwords against the Apple Servers.

iChat 6 and more recently the Messages Beta (that will replace iChat) do a second Login to a server called me.com

Without this login (to me.com) the AIM servers cannot verify the Password of any iCloud issued @me.com name.

Until other Apps reverse engineer this (if it can be done) then they will not be able to log that iCloud name in.

As Apple IDs (@mac.com and @me.com types) are valid AIM names and for the most part are single Login accounts you used to be able to access the AIM Settings page.

The argument is that the account is then more secure at the loss of some functionality.

7:39 PM Sunday; April 29, 2012

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.3)
 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

Yes, I understood that.

But the question is: Is Apple going to change that stupid behavior?

Or will somebody finally reverse engineer that crap?

It's simply unusable - since I am chatting with my sister on iChat - when have to leave my home - I cannot proceed with the chat, because there is no device that can access my AIM account. (Only my MacBook Air - but the MBA does not have an integrated 3G solution - why can't I keep using it on my iPhone, like I did for ages?

And she only has an old MacBook that's not even capable of running Lion, so no chance for iMessage.