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Use Google Account in iChat ?

I have signed up to a Google account (don't mix this up with Gmail account) using my .me.com email which i would like to use in Google Talk, i can signin using my web broswer and accept friends as well as chat.


I am trying to add this to iChat and tried a number of times it does not let me sign in when i add the account via iChat. The eaisest thing is possibly just to sign up to a Gmail account but we all know what Gmails availablilty is like and that means signing up to an account something like johnsmith23434@gmail.com. I would like to use on email for everything and I've spent hours scrolling through web forums to try and find the answer. I am thinking there must be a way as in Google's blog it did say that google talk is now availble to non Gmail users.


I have also tried signing in to iChat with an old Gmail account and it works no problems....


So my question is it possble to use iChat using a Google Account that i created using my me.com email address?


Really noping someone can provide me the answer 🙂

Posted on Feb 18, 2012 2:05 PM

Reply
6 replies

Feb 18, 2012 2:51 PM in response to simplyliam

Hi,


Goolge have several diiferent type of accounts.


For iChat It HAS to be a Googlemail one (Ending in @gmail.com or @googlemail.com) AND Talk has to be enabled on that account's settings at Google (so you see the Chat option in the Google Mail or iGoogle pages at least)


The other types can have Talk enabled but they do not work for Chat outside of Google (They used to but Google closed the server off as it were)



Nope this is good enough.



User uploaded file
10:51 PM Saturday; February 18, 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)
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Feb 19, 2012 12:54 PM in response to simplyliam

Hi,


People that have

theirname@theirDomain.com


as their Buddy name are likely to be runniing a Jabber server.


iChat can join the AIM Service with valid AIM Screen Names.

These can come from a variety of sources:-

AIM (In fact any Company that AOL owned that offered an Name at one stage, such as Netscape, Compuserve 2000 AOL and AIM itself)

Apple IDs ending in either @mac.com or @me.com (Passwords need to be 16 characters of less. Later iCloud issued @me.com names only work in iChat 6 or later )

Email IDs from ISPs that have an agreement with AIM like Apple do.


Note: You can actually register any other email at AIM - and use an @googlemail.com name if you wished (or a Hotmail one and so on).


Jabber Service Names come from server.

Lets take Jabber Australia as an Example.

You register a Name (simplyliam) and you become simplyliam@jabber.org.au

There are many Public Jabber servers as you can see in this List

Essentailly you become the name-you-register@the-Server-name.com

Both Facebook and Google run a Jabber server. Both need you to enable Talk or Chat in your account settings in each site.


Note: Google only do this Publically for their Mail Account names (i.e the names can be used in other apps like iChat/Messages)

Google also do not stick to the naming format (their server name is talk.google.com) which is why it is a separate entry in iChat.



You can add Buddies that are AIM valid to an AIM valid Buddy List.

You can add Buddies that are valid over Jabber to the Jabber/Google/Facebook name List.


Although the naming formats for both include email looking IDs and will therefore be accepted in a List the Buddy will always look Off lline.


NOTE: I have seen cases where people have registered their GoogleMail ID was an AIM Name and they appear as AIM Buddies (I have also seen Hotmail email names registered the same way even though they are also MSN names).


It is so long ago that I set up my Google mail account I am not sure what email I may have used as a secondary contact address or Confirmation email address.

(EDIT:- I looked it up and it was a dial-up account I had before that).


As I said before, at one time you could add other types of Google account by entering them as a plain Jabber Account and then changing the server name in the iChat > Preferences > Accounts > Server settings tab to google.com

This has not worked for about a year.


So there is no way to Login to GoogleTalk without it being a GoogleMail name (No matter what ID was used to create it.)

There is also no way to have the @me.com name appear instead of the Google name. (well, unless you typed in that your first name was simplyliam and your last name was @me.com when you set the account up).


Whist a Google Name of any sort that looks like an email ID can be registered at AIM as a Screen Name it will mean that the name is an AIM Name and still would not be able to directly contact Jabber/Google/Facebook Buddies in iChat.


I have tried to show with examples that what you wnat is not possible.

However the broad way AIM allow other Email IDs to be used /registered as AIM valid names can supply a sort of work around in one direction (getting everyone on AIM) it does not work in ther direction you seem to want it (Somehow to use either a Non Googlemail Name or a AIM name over Google/Jabber).


Although this may not be the answer you wanted I hope I have been clear enough.



User uploaded file
8:54 PM Sunday; February 19, 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

Feb 19, 2012 3:35 PM in response to simplyliam

Thanks for the points.



User uploaded file
11:35 PM Sunday; February 19, 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

Mar 28, 2012 10:20 AM in response to simplyliam

There is one way to sign in to Google Talk using your "custom" email address: if you sign up for a GoogleApps account (which is free, provided that you own the domain you want to use), you would then get standard Google services (like Gmail, GoogleTalk, Google calendar, etc) under your new custom email address hosted by Google.


You can then use that "custom" Gmail address to add the account into iChat selecting "Google Talk" as the account type, and chat with buddies using Google Talk with their Gmail or custom addresses.


Alternatively, if you're on Lion, you can go to System Preferences, then to Mail, Contacts & Calendars and add your new custom account there as a "GMail" account.

Use Google Account in iChat ?

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