Can I use my Yahoo account to set up an iChat Account?

HI,

The ability to use an Yahoo Name/ID in iChat starts with iChat 6 (OS X 10.7.x) and continues in Messages in Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8.x).

It is also limited compared to the other services.

AIM will let you to Video or Audio Chat to Macs using iChat or Messages and to PCs using AIM for PC or Trillian with the Pro Add-on (it is needed fro A/V chats and Costs).

Jabber only works in Video and Audio Chats to other macs using iChat or Messages.

Yahoo on iChat 6 and Messages in text Chat only.

It also does not allow the use of Live/MSN Names/ID as Buddies or your account name like the Yahoo for Mac app does.

AIM and AIM Valid Names.

You can of course register a Name with AIM

Certain Apple IDs are also valid AIM names.

However it does depend on which version of iChat your are using as to whether you can use them.

@mac.com names will work with all version of iChat

@Me.com names registered via iCloud and the later @iCloud.com names will only work in iChat 6 or later.

Certain US based ISPs have similar agreements with AIM to the one Apple has and their email IDs may also be valid.

Jabber and other Jabber Valid Names or IDs

There are many Jabber servers out there. Some are public (Any one can set up an ID) and some are private.

Google run a Jabber server and You can enable "Talk" on your Google email account settings.

Your GoogleMail ID then becomes your ID in iChat.

Facebook also run a Jabber server and after you have enabled "Chat" on their settings you can use the name in iChat or other Jabber app.

As most Jabber Servers are what is called "Federated" this means you can add Buddies from one server to your list. You could have other Google ID and Facebook or other Jabber IDs in the Buddy list.

Video and Audio Chats are AIM to AIM or Jabber to Jabber.

9:37 PM Monday; December 3, 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 an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Hi,

Yes iChat 5 (in OS X 10.6.x) has no Yahoo Option.

iChat 6 from Lion will not work in earlier OSes.

Each version is bound to the OS X level that it should be with.

This applies to sub version within the OS X update life cycle

Essentially iChat 5.0.3 will only work in OS X 10.6.8

The previous public version (version 5.0.1) needed OS X 10.6.5 if I remember correctly.

iChat 5.x.x should be part of the Install for Snow Leopard

Check whether it is still in the Applications folder (removing it from thre DOCK does not delete the app)

If you do remember deleting it from the Applications folder you can reinstall it from the Install DVD

You would then need to update it to the latest version fo the OS you are using.

To do this you need to Download and install the COMBO version of the last update.

This will update iChat form the version on the DVD (Possibly ichat 5.0.0 in effect) to the iChat 5.0.3 version.

You would then need to register an AIM name (I would tend to shy away from the option to make an existing email your actual online Name)

Functions of iChat.

The AIM Name would then be entered in to iChat and the account/Screen Name would login.

(there is an "Enable this Account" box that can be unticked to Log out - you can also use the iChat menu > Accounts and Untick the account there)

This login is by default on port 5190 using the TCP protocol.

This accesses your Buddy list.

You can then add Buddies.

Buddies that have Cameras and Microphones end up displaying green Video and Audio Only icons (if no camera).

These iCons or highlighting a Buddy and using the ones at the bottom of the Buddy list can start a Chat (invite).

The Video (or Audio Chat) can be Peer-to-Peer by the time it has finished connecting.

In iChat 5 in the iChat menu > Preferences > Accounts > Security tab you can elect to relay through the AIM servers. (it's difficult to tell if this actually helps)

Messaging

Depends what you mean by Messaging.

iChat is an Instant Messenger app.

It can join the AIM Service or use Jabber IDs and send text messages (IMs) to Buddies as well as Audio or Video chats.

It can also do Screen Sharing.

IMs (text Chatting) will do so to many text based apps that can login in the AIM service or do versions of A/V chats that are not compatible with iChat.

AIM do a version or at least allow a Login via a Web Browser called AIM Express which can be used for Text Chat only.

In the United States you can SMS from iChat 5 to certain US based Cell/mobile phones if they are on the "right" carriers.

Technically the computer has to be set up as if it is in the United States.

The Phone number is then added as if it were a Buddy as in +1234567890 (where the +1 is the country code)

(as it was never rolled out world wide I am not sure why they insist on the Country Code)

As I have stated the phone HAS to be in the United States on a carrier that supports SMS forwarding from AIM.

It is true that Messages in Mountain Lion adds Apple's own iMessages service which is text Messaging to iOS devices as well as the Message App. (Messages is iChat+ with the plus bit being the iMessage service)

It still does the SMS to AIM "Buddies" but not via the iMessages service.

The iPhones can use the iOS version of Messages and it will send SMS to Non iMessages numbers.

To Get Messages you would have to Upgrade to Mountain Lion as Lion does not have Messages (it has iChat 6 which would give you Yahoo - but that still does not do Video Chat in iChat)

10:03 PM Tuesday; December 4, 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 an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Hi,

You may find it only really makes a difference when you Video to AIM on PC users.

This in itself can be a bit fraught to say the least.

AIM in the Windows version brought out AV chats in version 5.5

The best compatibility with iChat (3) was achieved in AIM 5.9

These two versions gave you control over the Picture Quality and you could effectively balance the demand on PC's Processor.

AIM 6.0 was a bit of a disaster as far as Connecting with iChat was concerned.

AIM 6.5 got better.

At version 7.0 until the end of the version 7 updates the inter-connectability for iChat has generally gone down.

It seems to continue working for those that had it working before updating but for many new people it has not worked that well.

Cmaus in this thread states that AIM have a newer version that restarts the numbering system and is even less compatible.

for the Points

8:51 PM Wednesday; December 5, 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 an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

I was thinking of setting up iChat too because ever since Microsuck took over Skype, it's been really piggy for a lot of users I chat with now.

So I'm using iMac with Snow Leopard and am still not sure I want to upgrade yet. If I set up iChat and get an account with ANY of the available options, am I going to lose my contact list unless I have my people make accounts with those "connected" services / chat clients as well?

HI,

iChat cannot join or use Skype Names or IDs.

WIth Snow Leopard and iChat 5.x.x your choices would be an AIM Screen Name (of which an Apple ID issued by Apple may work if it is an older @mac.com one)

Or you chose to use a Jabber server.

There are literally thousands to choose from.

However you may already have an ID if you use GoogleMail or have a Facebook Account.

At Google you need to enable Talk on your Settings.

At Facebook you need to enable "Chat".

Your current Buddies would have to move to AIM or Jabber as well. (if they are not running two messaging systems/apps)

8:39 PM Thursday; December 6, 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 an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Thanks Ralph.

If I upgrade to Mountain Lion will the yahoo work on my iMac's iChat then?

I don't want to ask my clients to use another set up if I can help it. I don't use Farcebook and I detest Google so no google mail. I don't have "buddies", I have clients and I hope one day they'll port over Skype. I just can't ask my clients to find a new way to communicate with me. Too many of them are computer illiterate as it is and getting them to trust Skype was hard enough!

HI,

Both Lion (iChat 6) and Messages in Mountain Lion have the Yahoo option.

In both apps the Yahoo option is Text only (it will not do Video and Audio Only chats)

You may want to look MeBeam if you are wanting to do Video Chats.

One person goes to the site and Creates a Room

This then gives that person an individual "page" at that site.

Copy the URL and send it to your contacts.

You have to have Flash active and an Allow box appears to allow the camera to be accessed by the Web Browser.

(you tend not to have to bother with the Mic.).

So, yes Yahoo will work in the Messages app in Mountain Lion but it is limited to Text Chats only.

8:12 PM Friday; December 7, 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 an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously