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Ralph-Johns-UK Author

Level 9

76,795 points

@mac.com and @me.com names to end as Valid AIM Names

Hello everyone,

Apple released this Document a little while ago now.

It's title is:-

OS X: Using me.com or mac.com IDs with AIM in iChat requires OS X v10.7.2 or later

The short version seems to be that as Apple IDs they will no longer be working AIM valid Screen Names after the 30th of June 2014

Previously any old @mac.com ID would work as a AIM login whether it had originally been a Paid for Account, one that had Lapsed or the Trial Account during the .Mac period or as an "iChat Name" one that was registered during the MobileMe days.

@me.com names only worked whilst they were paid for, the period your trial was active or at the cross over point with iCloud where they were iCloud issued Names (were "converted" to iCloud).

To work as AIM valid Screen Names the password with Apple had to comply with the 16 Character limit with the AIM Server.

At iChat 6 the App and the names (mainly iCloud linked ones) were subject to the app logging in to both AIM and Apple as a means of verifying the Password.

This continues in Messages.

This did mean that the @mac.com names worked in iChat 5 and earlier as they did not have this iCloud double check as it were.

@me.com and @icloud.com names linked to an iCloud account have never worked in iChat 5 or earlier.

It appears the Apple IDs in question will still function for iMessages, FaceTime and other places you might used - even if not linked to an iCloud account.

It is only as an AIM valid Screen Name that it will stop working.

AIM have been sending reminders to your AIM Screen Name in Messages

The Document implies but does not state that these IDs will work in later version of the OS.

However @mac.com names have never been subject to this double check Login so it seems likely they will fail there as well.

(Same applies to any old @me.com that have never been linked to iCloud.)

It seems that this will standardise which IDs will work and which will not across all version of iChat and Messages to some extent.

The issue being with earlier versions or the OS/ichat that cannot use iCloud issued names and need to register for AIM names instead.

10:26 pm Saturday; June 28, 2014

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 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

Posted on Jun 28, 2014 2:26 PM

18 replies

Ralph-Johns-UK Author

Level 9

76,795 points

Jul 3, 2014 1:17 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi all,

Just to say this another way.

There are three type of ID issued by Apple over the years.

@mac.com IDs were issued during the .Mac service as as "iChat Names" during MobileMe. There was a 60 day trial and then you could pay for the service.

However as an iChat/AIM Screen Names they worked "forever" as Paid For, Trial or lapsed paid for accounts as as the iChat names during MobileMe even if the email ability no longer worked.

@me.com ID were issued during the MobileMe Service and as the change over to iCloud.

You had to actively stop any trial and this also stopped the ID being a valid Screen Name

Any ID that was not "converted" to iCloud appear to have Lapsed and sopped being valid AIM Screen Names.

At the start of iCloud you could "convert" any existing Apple ID into an iCloud ID and would receive an @me.com ID as a result.

This seemed to "move" the @me.com ID from the MobileMe server to the iCloud servers.

Later Apple released @icloud.com IDs as well.

This may mean for some people that they have three Apple Issued IDs that can access their iCloud linked stuff but will have three Separate AIM valid Screen Names

There is also a second issue relating to this.

Any iCloud issued Apple ID (which included the crossover @me.com and the @icloud.com IDs) will not work in iChat 5 or earlier.

This is because iChat 6 (Lion) and later (Messages versions) make a check with the Apple Servers as well as AIM to enable the password to be used.

This double check is not done on @Mac.com names allowing them to work (until the 30th June) in iChat 1 through 5.

This means the Document will bring @mac.com names in line with the @me.com and @icloud.com regarding which versions they will work with.

9:17 pm Thursday; July 3, 2014

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 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

Jul 13, 2014 9:58 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Ralph - thank you for your useful comments. One experience that may be relevant to some people. I have a machine running 10.8.5 which had iChat stop working at the end of June. Tried all sorts of id/password gymnastics to get it working. None worked. Luckily I had another computer which did have iChat working with which to compare.

Found that changing the "Accounts"->"Server Settings"->"Server" for the AIM account from "slogin.oscar.aol.com" to "api.oscar.aol.com" fixed the problem. I am not sure what update would have changed/not-changed this setting. The SSL flag was checked before and was kept checked. It works now.

Thanks,

Mark W

Ralph-Johns-UK Author

Level 9

76,795 points

Jul 14, 2014 12:47 PM in response to Mark W-NYC

HI,

In OS X 10.6.x I have tried changing the port t 443 and Enabling SSL and even changing the Server to api.oscar.aol.com

From my 2nd July Post.

On my Snow Leopard Computer (iChat 5) I do have this set for one @mac.com account.

It does not login instantly and says "Connecting" for a very long time before eventually failing with a "General Error"

In Leopard I am getting an error messages about too much activity to login and to wait.

I have had it working in Snow Leopard but right this moment it will not and neither will it in Leopard itself.

You have to click the Enter key to change the port and the Server name or it will revert as soon as you leave the Server Setting tab.

8:47 pm Monday; July 14, 2014

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 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

@mac.com and @me.com names to end as Valid AIM Names