Problem connecting on video chat AIM account/Messages

I'm having the same problem. Phoned Apple and am still waiting for some printed material by email.

Hi,

There beginning to be multiple threads across the iChat Community, Mavericks and Yosemite of people reporting this and issues with the iMessages invocation of Screen Sharing (The iMessages account uses a different Method just to add to the issue)

I have two AIM valid accounts that I can test with.

The iMac is running Yosemite and "Messages 8" (remember Mavericks was also Messages 8) and my MacBook Pro is running iChat 5.0.3 and I can connect in Video chat.

8:38 pm Thursday; July 16, 2015

Same issue here, I use messages and ichat for years between my retail locations, and personnel accounts. Video, audio, remote sharing, and file transfers (picture formats) all stopped working last week. Only text is working. This is a serious problem for me and need fix, worked with apple for hours with no resolution or answers... if anyone knows anything please help

Exact same issue here. Since last week, video, audio and screen sharing chats are not working anymore!!! Using it on a daily basis for team meetings, it's one of the worst issue that could happen with ichat! Anyone can help/talked with apple for possible solutions?

Hi,

In Yosemite my Internet preferences insist on adding an @AOL.com ID to my AIM screen name (I have been using the Username part only since I created it in 1998).

This seems to then be added in this fashion to Messages.

The AIM servers seem to cope with this for Text Chatting but it does not work for the Peer-to-Peer Screen Sharing or the Audio and Video chats.

I have managed to get Messages to accept an AIM Account with Screen Name only (no @AOL.com) which seems to solve the issue.

Realistically this is likely to be something alongside the issue discussed that looks very similar but is not the actual issue.

That is not to say it is not worth checking out and eliminating.

8:46 pm Friday; July 17, 2015

Hi,

IF...

The AIM Screen Name happens to be an Apple ID (the ones ending in @mac.com, @me.com if registered with iCloud and @icloud.com ones) then you might be able to contact Apple Support and say you have an Account issue.

These tend to be free to fix, but you might need to ask to speak to a Level 2 support person as otherwise it is some form of Apple Care or payment.

8:49 pm Friday; July 17, 2015

When I was on the phone with AppleCare tech support, he had me remove the "@aol.com" part of my account names. However, my mother and brother and I have been unable to connect for video chatting all week. Last week we were able to use Messages to video chat for at least 4 days in a row.

Same issue here. Some colleagues and I used to be able to use Message or iChat very reliably for video calls and screen-sharing, but it has got worse and worse over a period of months and now will not work at all no matter what we have tried.

All,

In some ways it's good to know that I'm not the only one having issues - it has been very frustrating recently.

I've also been having HUGE problems with messages.app. My wife and her Mom video chat every single day over breakfast. It started getting worse earlier in the year, and now it has stopped working all of the time. The both use AIM to login to Messages. Should they change to something other than AIM? I would like to retain the feature that enables us to login to my Mother-in-law's computer (screen sharing) too. Is that available in other chat protocols like Apple's iMessage or Google or Yahoo?

David

You could try setting up GoogleTalk accounts in Messages--both your wife and her mom would need them. Use a gmail email address to set up the accounts. I have been able to share the desktop using GoogleTalk, however, lately, the GoogleTalk and AIM accounts are just not working at all. At least not for me and my mother.

Thank you Linda.

According to this Apple Support page:

You can share screens using AIM, Jabber, Google Talk, and Bonjour. You can’t share screens using Yahoo! or iMessage.

That will at least save me time from trying Yahoo! or iMessage.

David

Myself and Chris (Jul 18 8:50 above) have had this problem for some time (months?). We've had extensive conversations with Ralph (above - many thanks) and tried all manner of fixes but to no avail. Back in June we might get a Messages video connection to work 1 time in 5 - now not at all. Text works fine but "comms error" every time we try to video link.

The conclusion we've come to is that there is something wrong in the wider Apple / AIM network - perhaps another Yahoo AIM address no longer supporting video issue? Given the need to support remote MAC users I'm now forced to consider alternatives - SKYPE for chats & screen sharing (Skype has always worked without any problem!) and TEAM VIEWER or Logmein for remote PC control.

Anyone got any better ideas or ways to get Apple involved (a Yosemite issue?) in solving this?

Regards

John

One thing Apple's tech suggested to me was to download the application AIM (you can get it at aim.com) and see if you can connect to a buddy (even if they are using Messages). I did that and was able to connect once or twice but not every time. I would be interested to know if others have more success that way.

Scubaman31,

Your experiences parallel mine. It started not working sometimes, then stopped working altogether recently. I lost my ability to screenshare several months ago. Luckily I had installed an alternative called Jump Desktop. Jump Desktop's screensharing is much slower than iChat/Messages, and does not have companion audio, but it does have the advantage of being able to connect even if the user is not logged in, which is helpful during software installations.

I too am looking for video chat alternatives such as Skype or Messages over Google Talk. Or maybe FaceTime. FaceTime seems like a step backwards when doing Mac to Mac video conferencing. I'm rarely reminiscent regarding old software, but I long for the days of iChat when both video chat and screensharing worked virtually 100% of the time.

David

Hi,

That is good to hear.

8:09 pm Sunday; July 19, 2015