Using iChat with new @iCloud.com Apple ID

HI,

iCloud Issued @Me.com accounts will not work in iChat 5 or Lower.

This is because in iChat 6 (Lion) and Messages (Mountain Lion) the App logs in to both AIM and me.com

The second Login to Me.com allows the AIM server to "See" the password.

iChat 5 and earlier cannot do this so the same cannot work.

Register for an AIM name

If she is using Lion and iChat 6 (or the Messages beta) then the issue could be that the Account has a Passowrd that is too long.

The AIM servers can only process passwords up to 16 Characters.

You/she may have to shorten it.

Question 2

Your iPhone has the iOS version of Messages

This will work with the Messages app in Mountain Lion.

The iMessages part is added to iChat and the app changes it's name.

Messages on the Mac can do everything iChat can do - Plus the iMessages bit

9:23 PM Friday; September 21, 2012

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and and iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

I'm having the same issue. I tried to follow your answer Ralph but I think what cseh.j was trying to say is that the newest apple IDs being given out are no longer @me.com but rather they are @icloud.com.

When trying to set that up in iChat he, and I, and probably others, can't put the address in when asked for it.

The open for @me and @mac are there but not @icloud

I picked up an early 2008 13" Macbook for my girlfriend and did a clean install of Lion and signed her up for iCloud so she is ready to go when her iPad Mini arrives in a few days and now we are stuck.

I don't like using Facetime on a laptop. And I missed the opportunity to try the iMessage beta. My concern with Facetime is that it doesn't (to my knowledge) allow for multiple person chats like iChat does (and which I believe iMessage does) and I don't like it in Portrait orientation after being used to Landscape in iChat.

Anyway, enough of my wingeing.

Does anyone know how to get iChat to recognize an account formatted as firstlastname@icloud.com?

I'm running Lion 10.7.5, with iChat 6.0.2

Thanks,

Mike

Hi,

I should have been more clear.

iCloud issued IDs (originally @me.com and now including @icloud.com ) will work in iChat 6 and Messages in Mountain Lion as these two version also have a Login to me.com that allows the AIM servers to confirm the password.

However the lack of dual logins in iChat 5 and Earlier means that these two forms of iCloud issued IDs do not work.

I registered my everyday Apple ID (Based on a external email ID) to be my iCloud address and received an @me.com name as part of that.

Later I had a email saying I had an @iCloud ID as well.

The @me.com and @icloud.com are two separate but valid AIM Screen Names in iChat 6 and Messages (mountain Lion).

If you happen to have an older @mac.com ID then this will work in earlier versions of iChat as well.

In iChat 6 and Messages the AIM spot for adding new Accounts is where you add you Apple ID (that is a valid AIM Name).

Over the years iChat has changed in this respect.

Orignally you added Buddies to the Buddy lists as either AIM, @mac or MobileMe (@me.com) but this was stopped.

In iChat 6 the add Account process also merged the Apple Options into the AIM one (You could always do this before if your typed in the full email ID).

So... @mac.com, @me.com and @icloud.com get added as AIM Names in the account pane (Add AIM valid IDs as AIM Names)

FaceTime

You are correct that it is only a 1-1 Video App (No 3 or 4 way chats no Audio Only Chats)

You can use the Video menu to change between Portrait and Landscape.

It also does not have any of the iChat Theatre type functions that iChat and Messages have (Sharing pic in Video Chats - sending files in VIdeo chats, Backdrop and Video Effects)

Does anyone know how to get iChat to recognize an account formatted as firstlastname@icloud.com?

As stated, add it as an AIM name.

8:22 PM Sunday; January 27, 2013

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Ralph,

Thanks so much for all of your contributions on the iChat forums.

Apologies if this has already been covered somewhere, but I'm putting together an iChat Demo for a Mac User Group, and I'm trying to determine if it's possible for someone who is still on Lion, to set up a new Apple ID that will enable them to use iChat. My understanding (which may well be incorrect or incomplete) is that iChat on 10.7 won't accept an 'iCloud' email address, and that it's not still possible to get a '.me' or '.mac' address from Apple...

Between that, and the fact that the public beta of Messages for Lion has expired, I'm wondering if that means that anyone who wants to start using iChat on Lion is shut out until they upgrade to Messages on Mountain Lion?

Happy to discover any alternative approach, or to learn that I'm mistaken.

With Thanks,

-R

Hi,

I don't actulaly have Lion boot at the moment.

I certainly know that iCloud issued @me.com names/IDs do not work in iChat 5 or earlier due to the iChat 6 and Messages app doing a dual Login (me.com and AIM) that then allows AIM the "See" the password

It also seems that the later iCloud issued @icloud.com IDs are the same as far as iChat 5 and earlier are concerned.

As to whether Lion/iChat 6 baulk at @icloud.com IDs as Valid AIM names I have no experience.

the @icloud.com names came out after I had moved to Mountain Lion.

When Apple changed to iCloud issued IDs they closed the "free iChat Name" @mac.com registration page.

It only worked as a Apple ID and Valid AIM name and NOT as an email.

@me.com name owners were "encouraged" to change to iCloud and in using there current Apple ID could create an "new" @me.com name.

I had never had an @me.com name under MobileMe.

I don't know anyone who used the same @me.com name in MobileMe and made it their iCloud ID.

However posts here seemed to indicate that there were two levels of @me.com names.

Side bar

I used an external email Apple ID for create my iCloud ID.

i.e. the email ID was external to Apple but has been my Apple ID for a long time.

This gave me an @me.com name.

I can use either name as the Apple ID with the same password and access my iTunes, iCloud web Page log in and these Discussions.

Later I received and email to say I had an @icloud.com name as well.

Although my original external to Apple email is not a Valid AIM Screen Name the @me.com and @icloud.com are two separate valid Names

It seemed at the time that the change from MobileMe to iCloud created a "second" account on a different server and that using the ID in Messages as the iMessage account caused issues.

As iChat 6 is already logging in to Me.com to allow the verification of @me.com names I see no reason why it will not work for @icloud.com names.

NOTE.

The password has to remain at 16 characters or Less as this is still the AIM server's limit.

AIM still have a registration page obviously.

8:05 PM Monday; February 11, 2013

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

I have the same question too. After you create an ichat account with an @icloud.com email address with AIM, then it says you have the wrong password and I am sure I have the right password. What am I doing wrong?

HI,

@icloud.com names will work as AIM valid IDs if the password is 16 characters or less. (Apple Allow longer).

You don't have to go separately to AIM and register the Apple ID - it will work already.

If you did and created a Password during the registration process then it will not work as the Apple one will take precedence when you set the Account up in Messages.

6:51 pm Wednesday; June 25, 2014

RALPH

Please read what people are saying. IT IS NOT WORKING.

I have A+ user skills, I've tried repeatedly including all your details on the exact above problems. Lemme put it another way: IT IS NOT WORKING. Or how about in another language :

IT IS NOT WORKING

Can someone truly offer a solution? Or Ralph, if you could pardon my sarcasm. Please feel free to try explaining another solution

Hi,

Which bit is not working ?

The bit where you register with Apple and gain an Apple/iCloud ID ?

Or the bit where you add it to Messages AS IF it were and AIM/AOL account ?

So that is Press the + icon to add Account.

Choose AOL at this point as it says AOL not AIM

In the Details use the Passwords as you do with Apple. (for 10 years Apple And AIM/AOL have had an agreement that Apple ID will be recognised as AIM Screen Names) You do have to keep you Apple password to 16 characters or less.

When the account is added it will be identified as AIM as in the top picture.

Said Account's Buddy List showing it is and will login.

As I set this Account up in Messages it appears as Only an Messages account in System Preferences > Internet Accounts.

AS this Thread is in iChat and those that list which OS they are using states versions that would be Messages 7.0.1 (after the update to Messages 6.0.1) or above then this does NOT apply OS X: Using me.com or mac.com IDs with AIM in iChat requires OS X v10.7.2 or later

If you have updated Lion to above the base Level (which increase Messages to version 6.0.1) then Any @mac.com and @me.com name will still work.

I hope the pictures help.

8:25 pm Monday; October 20, 2014