Ichat fails to connect to other user

Good to hear.

8:21 pm Tuesday; May 10, 2016

That was a false joy. Since yesterday, I cannot see my buddies camera icons on the Buddies list. If I double-click on my buddy icon, I have a window from my HD camera and I can hear my buddy's connection sound, but I cannot see him nor hear him. He says he see me and can hear me. I cannot. If he tries to call me, it does not work.

In the account list, my account is label AIM. In his account list, his account is label AOL. We both are in Canada and it seams that AOL.ca is not giving AIM account anymore. We both have iMac 2011 27 in. with El Capitan.

This is getting more frustrating.

Thanks.

Hi,

Check the Video menu that the Camera and Mic and ON.

If you compare that to the Buddies Menu you may find you can call for a One way chat.

My Messages > Preferences > Accounts list some as AOL icons and AIM details underneath.

Picture includes an Apple ID that is also a Valid AIM Screen Name.

If you have an AOL account rather than an AIM registered one it should still work.

If you can Text (IM) chat then the Video should work.

I have Video icons

10:00 pm Thursday; May 19, 2016

My Preferences/Accounts shows me my accounts similar to yours.

I tried to add here a screen copy, but it does not work. How did you do it?

I had the video icons before. But they all disappeared yesterday. This morning, one of them was visible, but my buddy did not answer to my call.

I tried to add you to my buddy list, Messages put you in my Unavailable list showing the camera icon, but all in grey since it seems you are not available.

You have my AIM name : hibiscusjlb.

What is yours? Ralph?

And the camera and microphone are ON on both computers mine and my friend, since we can see and talk with each other with FaceTime.

But what we need it the three people conversation like in iChat.

Thanks.

Hi,

When Posting a reply there are two ways to add a picture.

1) use the Camera icon in the Tool Bar part

This opens a dialogue box to select the picture on your computer.

Screen Shots are normally placed on the Desktop and you may have to navigate here first.

Once the pic is in the "Browse" text filed the "Insert Image" button can be used.

2) Just drag the picture to the Reply box.

It then gets added to the insertion point (I always insert a line break otherwise it is on the same level as the last bit of text - or in the middle of a word you corrected)

My AIM name is ralphjohnsr (that's ralph + johns, as one word with an add r because when I tried to register just ralphjohns it was gone and it does not mean ralph johns senior 😝)

I do only tend to be Online for about 3 hours a day, roughly 7- 10 PM most evenings (local time). My Messages is set to show me as Off Line when I am not actually Online so no Off Line IMs for me.

I always include my local time in a post so people can work it out.

7:55 pm Friday; May 20, 2016

Hello Ralph,

This morning I was in communication with my friend. He trashed the com.apple.imagent.plist file ans restarted his iMac.

After that I was able to see him (and his camera) in my Buddy list.

We were able to do video chat again and also Screen sharing as we used to do during many years using iChat.

So we would like to thank you very much for your help in this matter.

Also, as you can see here, I am able to add a png file his this forum.

Jean-Luc

Keep well.

Best regards.

As I said in my last post, we are now able to do screen sharing like we used to do for many years.

Meaning using the Screen sharing button on the right of this copy:

If you wish to use the screen sharing from eMessages screen Details button, your friend has to accept that you control his screen by clicking on the Screen sharing icon and select the appropriate option. Here, with my French Canadian system, it says something like Accept "Name" to control my screen.

Then the magnifying glass will be replaced by the standard cursor controlled by whom has the control on the screen. In fact, both users can control the cursor. And most of the standard keyboard button are operable. Like they were before last July when the iChat app went astray.

Good luck

Best Regards.

Jean-Luc.

15:49 EDT

AS I said earlier, speaking with Ralph yesterday, I learn that imagent stands for INSTANT MESSAGER AGENT, so it has everything to do with the unability to do ichat video and audio conversation, and consequently also with screen sharing within iChat.

IF you cannot see your buddy's camera in the buddies list, he should trash the imagent.plist file from the library/preferences Folder and restart his computer.

Then you should see his camera besides his name in your Buddies list. Then, you should be able to call him in video as we all used to do for many years with iChat.

You should also be able to share your or his screen as before with the screen sharing button at the bottom of the buddies list.

IF you wish to share your friend's screen using the screen shating button on the Details button on the eMessages window, then this where the magnifying glass appears on your friend screen after he has accepted your invitation to share his screen. Then your friend has to go to the screen sharing icon on the top menu and select the line that says something like Accept "name" to control my screen. This is not something you do on your screen. Your friend has to accept that you control his screen. This is a second step of the screen sharing. The first step makes him to accept that you see his screen and show the magnifying glass to show him what you want to explain.

All of this could have been explain in a few steps within an iChat session. But writing it is a little long, isn'it?

Good luck

Hi,

Interesting.

I have one account of my own that says I should be able to do this:-

And other accounts that do not:-

These two are AIM registered names. I have an @me.com name that does not show I can Screen Share.

Obviously I cannot test as you cannot Screen Share to the same computer.

Checking other Buddies also produces a mixed list and varies between AIM registered and Apple registered AIM valid Screen Names.

At present I cannot explain why this should be. I have checked the Accounts in Messages to see if they are differently set to use the AOL server for Video relays that shows as a consistent reason for this but see no match.

The option to highlight and the use the Buddies Menu show the Invite to Share option but the Video menu still does not show "Enable Screen Sharing".

7:45 pm Sunday; May 22, 2016

Hi,

I am testing OS X 10.12 at the moment and they seem to have removed AIM and Jabber Video an Audio Only chats as well now.

9:57 pm Thursday; July 14, 2016