Problem connecting on video chat AIM account/Messages

I have followed many of your posts on this thread and elsewhere. You are a fountain of knowledge on this an many other subjects. The problem is squarely on Apple and not users (and their settings). I have spent no less than 20 hours to address this, as I used to be "tech support" to my 83 year old father, sharing screens and sorting out problems and doing three and four way video chats with family. We have given up.

I think the death of iChat began with FaceTime, and I believe Apple will NEVER fix it. That, or in a year or two they will release a new OS with 200 "new" features and one of them will cover the gaps left behind by iChat.

Hi,

Between you me and a gatepost I think iChat is a thoroughly missed app.

The Adding of the Contacts could have been in a more Buddy List looking type interface.

As the iPhone ignores the bubble colour and font details sent from the first version of Messages on the Mac there was no reason to remove the Formatting options.

Coloured Bubbles in incoming group chats is a great boon to instantly show who is whom.

The fact iChat/early Messages could Share Screen already in AIM and Jabber chats should have been the method extended to the iMessages account rather than adding a different method and invoking a different app.

Little thought seems to have been given to backwards compatibility.

9:46 pm Thursday; February 25, 2016

Hi to all again! At the risk of getting everyone's hopes up, I can report that I can now use messages to video chat, screen share, etc, just like before! I'm in CT and spoke with my brother in Ill., a friend in NY, and another friend in Fla. I was also able to do a conference with 3 of us participating!! This just happened out of the blue yesterday and today.

FWIW, my brother uses a very old iMac with iChat as his client, the rest of us are using messages.

Kevin in CT

Hi,

Thanks for the info.

7:38 pm Tuesday; March 8, 2016

Hi All,

I have Installed OS X 10.11.3 (El Capitan) and have had one successful Video chat yesterday.

Although a small test it maybe enough to say it is working.

7:43 pm Thursday; March 10, 2016

It is finally working for me too! I think the latest El Capitan update fixed it!

Isn't it great having it back!! Yes!!!! 🙂

Kevin in CT

Mine was back for a while too, but it's not working anymore. Anyone else's not working now?