I can't send photos through iChat/Messages?

Question

Hello! I have a MacBook Pro and I can't seem to send photos through iChat to my friends. I am able to receive photos, though. I can drag a photo into the message box and I can click send and it looks as if I've successfully sent the photo. However, after a few seconds, the message bubble becomes blank and a picture is no longer there and my friend tells me she can't see anything. I've updated to Mountain Lion but I still can't send photos through Messages. Does anyone have any idea why? Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

Hi,
The Messages app in Mountain Lion is a fusion of iChat (which uses AIM Screen Names and Jabber IDs to create Buddy Lists) and iMessages from the iOS side of things.
iMessages can be sent if you register your Apple ID for iMessages when opening Messages for the first time.
The same Apple ID is then used on your iOS devices (iPads, iPhones and some iPod Touch devices) so that you can sync the conversations you are having.
iChat is /was an app in Lion and earlier Mac OS version that could join the AIM or Jabber Service (And the Yahoo service in iChat 6 in Lion).
In those versions Buddy List were displayed by default.
In Messages the default is to display any Non iMessage Accounts (Seen in Messages Menu > Preferences > Accounts.) as one list, which can be brought to the front by the Keystrokes CMD + 1 keys together (See Window Menu)
You can separate the Buddy lists by going to Message Menu > Preferences > General section and unticking the items that say about gathering accounts into one list.
Uploaded with Skitch!
This changes the Window Menu to then list all the Buddy lists, each with their own CMD + #
Uploaded with Skitch!
As you can see I have an Account callled Google talk (And another that logs in to Jabber.me)
The Names shown here are what you enter in to the Description field in Messages menu > Preferences > Accounts.
If you enter nothing and have one account that logs in to AIM and another that logs in to Google the Account Buddy List window will get titled "AIM Buddy List" and Jabber Buddy List as Google run a Jabber server.
If you have more, like I do, of both sorts then they take on the Screen Name or ID of the account if you don't fill in the Description field.
(The Partially Blocked out one is doing this as it is an AIM registered Name)
If your Apple ID happens to be your Google Mail ID and you have set it up for iMessages it also needs setting up for the "iChat" Google Talk side  (it may be already there if updating from Lion)
However you cannot send iMessages to your Google Buddies or vice versa - sending IMs from your Google Buddy list to Contact's Apple IDs
So make sure the Messages window is saying you are using iMessages if talking to Contacts or your IM account type (or name/ID) if using Buddy lists.
If your Apple ID can also be used with the AIM or Jabber services then double check what you have set up in Messages > Preferences > Accounts and which you ware using.
7:23 PM      Sunday; August 26, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
  iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
 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