Can't iChat With My AIM Buddy

Since upgrading to iChat 4.0, I can't chat with my buddy using Tiger who has an AIM screenname.
What's the first thing to try to rectify the problem?

Ok,
What account type do you have ?
Is it @mac ?
Is it paid for ?
Have you checked the Authorization is still current ?
If not @mac have you tried deleting com.apple.ichat.AIM.plist for Users/(your account)/Library/Preferences ?
This will also lose bubble colours, font choices and Alerts plus Saved Status Messages.
Restart iChat.
Make sure port 5190 is open to the UDP protocol in your routing Device if using Port Forwarding.
10:56 PM Thursday; November 1, 2007

Similar Messages

IChat can't communicate with my AIM account

Hi, every time i try go to to my ichat it automatically logs me out, and when i try to log back in, it says "iChat can't communicate with the AIM account 'aforever0203' and The AIM server has temporarily limited your account due to too much activity. Try again in a few minutes" This has been happening for days, please help!

HI,
Go here https://settings.aim.com/
Can you sign in there ?
This will not work for newer @me.com and @icloud.com IDs issued under iCloud ( I notice there are at least 2 Me Toos clicked)
With Apple IDs there have been issues over the last few months about accounts getting Suspended when people have travelled to foreign lands.
The "normal" fix with AIM names is to Change the Password but obviously changing the Apple Passwords cannot be seen by AIM.
In that case you need This link about Suspended accounts and you need to use the TOS General email address.
(You need to explain very carefully that you have an Apple ID and that AIM cannot see any Password Change and that they will have to reset the account manually - some support staff seem not to know that Apple have an agreement that Apple IDs are also AIM Valid Names)
If it is a plain AIM name a Password reset should correct the issue.
11:09 PM Saturday; January 12, 2013
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I'm getting an error message saying that "iChat can't communicate with the AIM account __"

I'm getting an error message saying that "iChat can't communicate with the AIM account __" I don't know what to do because google.com isn't coming up either...Please help!

Hi,
For any AIM valid Name (AIM, @mac.com or MobileMe) go to the IChat Menu > Preferences > Accounts
Select the account in the list then in the Server Settings tab change the port from 5190 to 443
Also try it without the SSL option.
(Go to the Account info tab to select the Use this Account option to Log in).
Do you mean you have a GoogleTalk account of some kind ?
One based on Google Mail accounts (@gmail.com or @googlemail.com) should have talk.google.com listed as the server in iChat (Server Settings for your Google Account)
There are Other Google accounts (Non Email) that can have Talk Enabled and these do connect to a server called google.com
Both these forms login to the Jabber servers involved on port 5223 and use SSL
It is possible with Google though to also change this to port 443.
(Other Jabber servers will not allow it)
8:20 PM Friday; June 3, 2011
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IChat can't communicate with the AIM account error window! please help!

Hello, I have been trying to connect to my AIM account via iChat and for some reason it doesn't let me. A window saying the following appears:
"iChat can't communicate with the AIM account "name of account".
"An undefined AIM socket error has occurred."
Please help with this. What is going on?

Hi,
An @Mac.com name is a valid AOL/AIM Screen Name.
Any Issues and the AIM servers will say the AOL/AIM name or password is incorrect.
As I said earlier, there can be issues if when you create an @Mac.com or even a MobileMe account Apple lets you create passwords of up to 20 characters (I think).
The issues is the AIM Server can check the name with Apple but don't parse Passwords that have more then 16 characters (You have to change the Password to 16 characters or less).
There is also another issue.
Creating a Name at the @Mac.com page allows you to use spaces as valid characters (As In ralph [email protected]) but again the AIM servers cannot parse these names as Spaces are not Valid at AIM
Use iForgot to check the name. You can also change passwords via this.
Use the On Line option and answer the security questions.
That should confirm whether the account/Screen Name/Apple ID works.
Then go to this page https://settings.aim.com/
Use the Sign In option top right.
Enter your @mac.com name and password (It will read AOL at the next page to do that)
If it works properly then you should be returned to the page I linked you to but it will now have your Screen Name showing above the menu area.
This will confirm that the @Mac.com name is accepted as a AIM Screen Name.
If you are still having issues, go to the iChat Menu > Preferences > Accounts
In the Account Info tab make sure you are logged out (Deselect "Use this Account")
Go to the Server settings tab
Change the port from 5190 to 443 (it may also pay to deselect SSL)
Log back in again.
Deleting com.apple.ichat.AIM.plist may help.
If the issue is an incorrect password you may need to delete the entry from the KeyChain (Use KeyChain Access in the Applications/Utilities folder)
Hope this helps.
9:33 PM Thursday; March 10, 2011
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IChat can't communicate with the Aim account

Recently, my iChat AV stopped working, displaying a message iChat can't communicate with the Aim account "xxxxxxxxx". None Time
I have been able to successfully log on with other accounts using the application.
I have tried the 443 port switch and the firewall technique.
This problem may coincide with my use of an aim importer client on facebook
I have since severed all ties between the aim account and the facebook account
I have tried using Adium and aim express but to no avail.
Aim express consistently displays the message saying that I have attempted to log on too many times and to try again, even after I restart the computer and wait half an hour.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks

Hi,
Welcome to the  Discussions
Umm, Sounds like an issue created by trying to unhook Facebook from AIM.
Try filling in this page and see if it helps
http://www.aim.com/suspended_account/report.adp
You will not get a reply and it may still take a day or two.
10:20 PM Thursday; September 16, 2010
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IChat 5.0 and "can't communicate with the AIM account

Works fine with AIM software, just stays disconnected in iChat
Message also says "the server did not respond. Please try again.
Any help would be appreciated!

Hi,
Do you mean you can not log in your AIM name in iChat ?
Change the Port in Server setting to 443.
in iChat 5 SSL has to be On first the change the port and Press Enter to "Set"
SSL can now be turned Off if your want.
10:24 PM Wednesday; September 16, 2009
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HT2515 Can you ichat with friends that have a different account e.g. google talk and yahoo

I have an aol account and my friend has a gmail account and we have been trying to chat with eachother. We made sure that we were both online and we were but it said that my friend was offline and unavailable. I thought the problem might be that we have different accounts. Can anyone help?

Hi,
You both need to using AIM valid name or both using Jabber based IDs like FaceBook or GoogleTalk (oor Yahoo if you must)
Apple's @mac.com and @me.com are Valid AIM names as well as regular AIM names.
Jabber IDs are gained from non centralised servers and there are thousands of Public and private servers issuing IDs
Google Mail with "Talk" enabled on your Accounts settings or a FaceBook account with "Chat" enabled are valid Jabber IDs
Jabber IDs are rarely emails (Google is an exception).
However they follow the email format which means the AIM Buddy list will "accept" them format wise
(the same is true to some extent the other way round)
9:54 PM Monday; August 13, 2012
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 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Ichat not adding AIM buddy - says server refused the request

Hi,
I have problems adding an AIM buddy to ichat (v 4.0.8). I have tried several times and have the correct name but a window keeps popping up saying - AIM Error....server has refused this request. I have also tried this with the test appleu3test01 which also is AIM and it too comes up with this error message.
I have added a mac.com address with no problems at all.
I have tried deleting the .plist files mentioned in other ichat discussions and after re-starting ichat I still have the same problems.
Can anyone help please?

Hi,
Welcome to the  Discussions
In iChat 4 and earlier you have to specify the type of Buddy you are adding.
This mean choosing AIM to add AIM Buddies (@mac.com for @mac.com Buddies and MobileMe fo @Me.com Buddies)
There is not normally a Suffix (@anything) for AIM names - although their registration page is now allowing email Addresses as Screen Names (someone could have registered [email protected] for instance)
See pic
It could be this contact is already in your Address Book
You can not Add someone who is already there. This does not seem likely for the Apple Test Account though.
8:09 PM Tuesday; December 8, 2009
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IChat with MobileMe + AIM, SSL

I posted this some days ago in the MobileMe forum. I got no answer there, but I think this one should be the more appropriate place to ask about an iChat issue...
One of the potential benefit of setting up a MobileMe account in iChat is the fact that one can have an encrypted audio/video chat. Which is great.
However, there's a quirk, in my view. If I understand correctly, Apple creates and maintains an AIM account (on AOL servers) which has the same ID and the same password of the MobileMe account: which is not so great, but let's go on.
When setting up a new account (of the "MobileMe" kind), iChat, by default, connects with the AIM server without using ssl. This has nothing to do with the audio/video chat which could follow: this is just the initial authentication on the AIM server, and if I'm not mistaken the MobileMe password is sent in the clear. So it's all good and well to have ssl by default on www.me.com, but if you configure a MobileMe account in iChat you send out your password to potential eavesdroppers.
Is this the case?
Please note that I know that I can force ssl in the iChat options. What I'm pointing out is only that this is not the default behaviour.
Moreover, the first connection is made by iChat immediately after having entered the MobileMe username, without waiting for an explicit user command. Even if you do not enter your MobileMe password, iChat gets it from your keychain.
In other words, it seems to me that configuring a MobileMe iChat account implies sending out your MobileMe password at least once unencrypted, unless some convoluted tactics are adopted to stop iChat from connecting.
Is this the case?
I hope someone could confirm or (better) tell me I'm wrong here.

Hi,
On the issue that Apple Creates the AIM Accounts for you.
I have only found this in one Apple Document which suggested the same by the way it was worded.
Due to the fact if the Mobileme (Or @mac.com servers) go down iChat or any AIM app cannot check your password and sign you in the process if obviously different.
It seems that in all cases where AIM have agreements with Service like Apple or ISPs that their servers can check the names and passwords at the various servers involved
The other thing about this is that Apple allow passwords longer than 16 characters.
Using the first 16 characters only does not work which would be the simplest way the method you suggest would be used. (you have to change your password)
I have done a partial test of your other issues.
I Opened my iChat Preferences and created a New account and chose MobileMe
I did not enter a password and clicked Done.
At this point iChat displayed a Buddy List and immediately a Dialogue box asking for a Password.
Like the name I chose something fairly random. The Save to Keychain was not checked.
On Pressing OK the Dailogue box reappeared with the Save to Keychain ticked. I dismissed it. (I checked the Keychain later and it was not Saved there)
In Accounts I went to the Server Setting tab.
It was set up wihout SSL being On.
That needs to be reported here http://www.apple.com/feedback/ichat.html (And have further testing with a registered name)
In all my other accounts I have set up in iChat no Buddy List Window has appeared, saying it is Connecting, until I have pressed the Done Button.
I also know that if you delete the com.apple.ichat.AIM.plist and then restart iChat then your Accounts info is pulled back from the Keychain.
Deleting com.apple.ichat.plist and com.apple.ichat.AIM.plist will cause the Start Up Screens to reappear
This in the AIM options the "first" AIM valid Login details will be Prefilled.
From this I can see that if you have a MobileMe Name and it is use on your Mac somewhere then entering it in iChat may cause the password to be "collected" from the Keychain.
You can still decided to remove it before pressing Done.
The Account will not even try to log on until you have pressed the Done Button.
I tried also to set up an AIM name (I happened to have one not used on this computer)
This did not have the password in the Keychain for any other purposes so it was not pulled up.
The Buddy List did not appear until I pressed Done.
In fact the Add Account pane had closed and the Buddy list said Connecting before Little Snitch told me iChat was connecting to AIM (Again).
This means at no point did my fictitious @Me.com name Buddy List actually make contact with the AIM servers
I checked the Server Settings for this Account and this was a NON SSL login as well.
This surprised me as I seem to remember that the default was for SSL to be Enabled on it's introduction via Upgrade from iChat 3 (I am using iChat 4 on this computer).
You do seem to raise some valid concerns.
I have yet to test in iChat 5.
You should use the feedback site to raise these further.
10:33 PM Saturday; June 4, 2011
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
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 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
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Can't ichat with aim pc buddy

we can i chat fine but cant get the av to work.. we can see our own faces but not each other... it gets stuck on 'searching for' at my end. im sure this is a basic q, can someone tell me why and what to do? thanks

Hi Steve,
It appears this Poster is at 10.3.2 so AIM 5.9 is the one.
The PC user then need to press F3 and scroll down the list of the Preferences to Live Video and then press the "Tuning Video and Audio" button
This will run a wizard.
Then they need to allow AIM as an exception through the XP firewall.
http://www.ralphjohnsuk.dsl.pipex.com/page12.html#_Service
Using the UPnP option and making sure this is allowed in their router and or modem is a good isdea.
More info
http://www.mvldesign.com/videoconferencetutorial.html
10:34 PM Saturday; April 14, 2007

I can't video chat with an AIM buddy, why??

I have family with AIM on their pc, I can't video chat with them. How come? I am new to mac, just had it for a few days. please help if you can. Thanks

Hi,
Welcome to the  Discussions
At the top of the Topic area is a section on Recent Users Tips.
Have a look at this one first
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1968438
8:12 PM Monday; December 14, 2009
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I can't connect to iChat with the AIM ID.

Everytime I try to connect comes a message saying that My password, or ID are wrong. And I'm pretty sure they are right. I log on normally in the AIM site.... And I've already tried to change the port to the 443. Pleeeease, I need help...

Hi,
Try deselecting the SSL option (or turning it On again if Off)
9:50 PM Sunday; March 7, 2010
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HT2515 "iChat can't communicate with the AIM account "(my account)"

i was successfully chatting this morning but suddenly I am unable and the error message says my screen name has been suspended and cannot be used to log in... I don't know what to do! I depend on using this!

HI,
You need to read this AOL/AIM help article
8:16 PM Monday; May 7, 2012
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 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Can't chat with one Bonjour buddy

We have a number of identical Mac Pros running 10.5.6, with version 4.0.7 of iChat. I am able to chat through everyone through Bonjour except for one user. Whenever I try to initiate a chat or when I receive a chat, iChat freezes up and I have to force quit it. Any ideas?

Hi ABC_Mac,
I am afraid this is one of those quirky things.
Somewhere there will be something different on one of the computers compared to all the others.
There are the more common LAN issues that I have suggested of Computer Name and User Name.
System Preferences > Quicktime > Streaming at less than 1.5Mbps can be another. (this can look like an intermittent issue, working for some chats and not others)
System Preferences > Sharing > Internet Sharing being On - but I would expect this to effect all chats.
I am not sure what else to suggest to try an pin this down other than going through every setting.
8:35 PM Friday; June 12, 2009
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Can I iChat with somone

I'm having trouble with iChat AV. I have a iSight camera connected to my dual G5 Powermac. I tried to iChat AV with my father's iChat AV on his iMac G5. The request goes through but, says that the other party didn't accept the invitation. Can I have someone who's iChat AV works do to a test video conference to see if it's my setup or my father's setup that's having problems. Please contact me witha user ID. Thanks! Please email me at [email protected]

Hi,
There are also these people and test accounts
http://www.ralphjohnsuk.dsl.pipex.com/ContactTesters.html
The info is in the Olde Discussion info which can still be accessed at the moment.
Ralph

Can't iChat With My AIM Buddy

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