Logins between Messages and AIM anomalies

Question

Logins between Messages and AIM anomalies

I am running Yosemite 10.10.5. I have two AIM screen names, one is my Apple ID (say, myname@mac.com) and one is registered with AOL (say, myname123 with email address myname123@aol.com). I've used both of these ID's in bot AIM and iChat/Messages for years.

In Messages, I have the AppleID-registered AIM account (myname@mac.com). It works fine. The other one, myname123 no longer works, the error from Messages is "Unable to verify account name or password." I've deleted the myname123 account and tried to add it again, same error.

In AIM.com and the AIM app, the opposite problem exists. I can login as myname123, but not as myname@mac.com. The website and app both say "Oops there is a problem on our end" when signing in as myname@mac.com.

Some additional info:

I've tried using Trillian. Like the AIM desktop app, Trillian allows the AOL-registered scream (myname123), but not the Apple-registered myname@mac.com.

Seriously, I am almost ready to just ditch the AIM account that matches my AppleID, but I'd prefer to not lose all those contacts. I don't want to have to use TWO chat apps (Messages plus Aim or Trillian). Is this something I should contact Apple support about?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), 16GB, 512 GB SSD

Posted on Sep 1, 2015 4:10 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Leslie Worley Author

Level 1

18 points

Sep 2, 2015 6:06 AM in response to Leslie Worley

Quick followup...

I worked with Apple Support last night on this.

On being able to add an AIM-registered screen name to Messages, we identified a bug in the Messages "Add Account". If you Add Account, then choose "AOL" from the "Choose a messages account to add..." list, you can very easily get the error "Unable to verify account name or password" when you enter an email address (like myname123@aol.com" and password and click "Set Up".

But, if you choose "Other messages account..." instead of choosing "AOL", you then choose "AIM" from the dropdown, enter a Username like "myname123" (NOT email address like "myname123@aol.com") and password, the account is properly added. Don't ask me why these two paths don't yield the same result.

I hope this helps someone else.

As for why the AppleID-registered AIM name cannot be used to login on AIM.com or the AIM app, Support believes that when AppleID-AIM accounts were restructured in 2014, mine might have just had an error. I have a call with Apple today to straighten that out.

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Answer 2

Sep 2, 2015 1:34 PM in response to Leslie Worley

Hi,

I have had this issue.

For years my AIM Screen Name has been the username only part.

in Yosemite the System Preferences > Internet account insists on adding @AOL.com which is then transferred back to Messages.

I deleted the account in Internet Accounts then added it back and Screen Name only in Messages.

Strangely this works despite it still showing afterwards in Internet Accounts as the @AOL.com ID in full again

Other posters have reported it being added under "Other" rather than AOL also seems to work.

9:34 p.m. Wednesday; September 2, 2015

 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

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Answer 3

Sep 2, 2015 1:38 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi Ralph. Exactly -- in Yosemite, the System Preferences suddenly insisted on adding the @aol.com (or rather an email address, not just a username). Same inside of Messages Preferences --> Add account --> AOL. Using Other (in Messages) works fine.

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Answer 4

Sep 2, 2015 1:45 PM in response to Leslie Worley

Final update:

"As for why the AppleID-registered AIM name cannot be used to login on AIM.com or the AIM app, Support believes that when AppleID-AIM accounts were restructured in 2014, mine might have just had an error. I have a call with Apple today to straighten that out."

Apple Support couldn't figure out why "myname@mac.com" couldn't us used to login to AIM.com, AOL.com, AIM.app or Trillin.app, when it CAN be used to access the AIM server via Messages. They said it must be on the AOL side, and had me contact AOL support. (Good luck with that!!!) AOL refused any support since the "myname@mac.com" was neither a aim.com or AOL.com email addressed. They even acted like there was no association between Apple-registered screen names and AOL.

After 15 years of have the same Mac email address and AIM ID, it's "done." I notified everyone on my AIM buddy list for "myname@mac.com" that I'm retiring the screen name. They can use the other one, registered with AOL instead. I guess in the end it isn't a total loss... everyone is using Facebook or Skype these days, seemingly! :-)

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Answer 5

Sep 2, 2015 1:55 PM in response to Leslie Worley

Hi,

The @mac.com (And @me.com not linked to iCloud) should still work after iChat 6.0.1 (an update in OS X 10.7.x but not the base version) and then in Messages all versions.

These version login in to Apple as well as AIM to make the checking of the password more secure.

This means that these ID s no longer work in iChat 5 or lower plus the first version of iChat 6 (yes it is odd for it to be in the middle of the OS and app update run).

It also means you can't use other apps to log it in either as they don't have the "double Login" check.

Further to that it excludes you from the AIM Settings page https://settings.aim.com/ where you can change the Display name and do other things.

9:55 p.m. Wednesday; September 2, 2015

 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

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Answer 6

Sep 2, 2015 3:39 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

THANK you for that information, Ralph, especially:

"It also means you can't use other apps to log it in either as they don't have the "double Login" check."

That explains why I can't use that ID can't be used to login on AIM.com, AOL.com, the AIM app or others (like Trillian), only on Messages. It used to work, though, until fall last year.

The sad thing is that neither Apple Support nor AOL support would tell me that. In fact, they both said it should still work. Would have saved me (and them) a lot of time. Thanks again.

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Answer 7

Sep 3, 2015 12:27 PM in response to Leslie Worley

Hi,

It is all here OS X: Using me.com or mac.com IDs with AIM in iChat requires OS X v10.7.2 or later - Apple Support

There has been and Apple Doc on this since March 2014.

The End period was the last day of June.

8:27 p.m. Thursday; September 3, 2015

 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

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Answer 8

Sep 3, 2015 12:53 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Thanks agian, Ralph. However, the gist of the referenced article (and numerous posts I'd read) is that to continue using a mac.com or me.com email address as an AIM screen name, you have to upgrade to at least OS X 10.7.2. As I indicated, I'm running 10.10.5. It says nothing about no longer being able to use those IDs to login to other AIM apps or websites. Of course, I might have missed one or two! :-)

My main concern was that when I don't have access to my Mac (i.e., using someone else's computer), I can't login to Aim.com or another chat app with my mac.com ID. Per your info above, that's by design. Now that I know, I can stop beating my head against the wall and move on! :-)

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Answer 9

Sep 3, 2015 1:15 PM in response to Leslie Worley

Hi,

It is a bit of an oddity.

AS you say it might be a deeper problem away from your Mac.

I take it you know how to access the Hidden ~/Library Folder ?

You could try deleting the com.apple.iChat.AIM.plist (it will hold all your AIM login details)

Restart Messages and see if this is enough to sort the @Mac as AIM Screen Name.

If that does not work open the Keychain Access App and delete the Application password for the ID.

It should be near the top with AIM: at the start.

If it is not there check the Local Items listing.

Delete the entry and again restart Messages.

Of at this point is is a question of how much more time you want to put into this.

9:14 p.m. Thursday; September 3, 2015

 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

Reply

Answer 10

Sep 3, 2015 1:29 PM in response to Leslie Worley

Sorry if I'm not being clear. The Mac.com ID works fine in ichat/Messages! And the non Mac.com screen name is now working. I'm all good in Messages.

Again, my remaining concern was (WAS) that I couldn't use the Mac.com ID for logging into aim.com, the AIM app, Trillion or other AIM facilities. I now know that is because they don't have the double login check. I didn't know and hadn't read about that limitation elsewhere, so I appreciate the info. I'm as good as I can be. Thanks!

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Answer 11

Sep 3, 2015 1:30 PM in response to Leslie Worley

Ok, understood.

9:30 p.m. Thursday; September 3, 2015

 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

Reply