Microsoft Messenger for Mac 8 Beta

[This is pre-release documentation and is subject to change in future releases. Blank topics are included as placeholders.]

Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted in examples herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Windows Live ID, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Alerts, and Microsoft Messenger for Mac are trademarks of the Microsoft Group of Companies. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Table of contents
Getting Started......................................................................................................................................................................1 Get Started with Messenger for Mac....................................................................................................................1 Sign in to or out of Messenger for Mac ..............................................................................................................2 Reset or change the password for a personal account..................................................................................3 Set your status option ................................................................................................................................................3 Online status options..................................................................................................................................................4 Turn on Accessibility options...................................................................................................................................6 Keyboard shortcuts for Messenger .......................................................................................................................9 Keyboard shortcuts for emoticons ..................................................................................................................... 10 Communicating with Contacts..................................................................................................................................... 12 Send and receive instant messages.................................................................................................................... 12 Express yourself with emoticons ......................................................................................................................... 14 Make an audio call ................................................................................................................................................... 16 Make a video call ...................................................................................................................................................... 18 Send an instant message to a mobile device ................................................................................................. 19 Send or receive a file ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Open your e-mail application from Messenger............................................................................................ 22 Organizing Contacts......................................................................................................................................................... 23 Add, delete, or block a contact from Messenger for Mac......................................................................... 23 Import or export contacts...................................................................................................................................... 25 Use Bonjour to find nearby Messenger for Mac users................................................................................ 26 Organize contacts by group or online status................................................................................................. 27 See who added you to his or her contact list................................................................................................. 29 Assign a nickname to a Messenger for Mac contact................................................................................... 29 Customizing Messenger for Mac................................................................................................................................. 30 Customize alerts and sounds................................................................................................................................ 30 Customize your display name and personal message................................................................................ 31 Clear password or user accounts......................................................................................................................... 31 Stop Messenger from opening automatically when I start my computer .......................................... 33 Add or change your display picture .................................................................................................................. 33 Format the font in messages ................................................................................................................................ 35 Check spelling ............................................................................................................................................................ 35 See other users without being seen................................................................................................................... 37 Show what music you're listening to................................................................................................................. 37 Save and view a conversation history ............................................................................................................... 38

Security and Privacy ......................................................................................................................................................... 39 Require a password to access Windows Live sites........................................................................................ 39 Receiving messages from unknown senders .................................................................................................. 40 Security tips ................................................................................................................................................................. 41 General security tips ........................................................................................................................................ 41 Security tips for use on a shared computer............................................................................................ 41 View the privacy statement................................................................................................................................... 41 Troubleshooting................................................................................................................................................................. 42 I cant sign in to my personal account.............................................................................................................. 42 When I plug in a webcam, iChat opens automatically ............................................................................... 44 I can't change my display picture ....................................................................................................................... 44 Audio or video quality is poor ............................................................................................................................. 45 Im unable to use the audio services in my audio or video call .............................................................. 46 Im unable to use the video services in my video call................................................................................. 47

Getting Started

Getting Started
Get Started with Messenger for Mac
You can connect with family, friends, coworkers, and customize Messenger for Mac in the following ways:

Connect with family, friends, or co-workers - down the hall or around the world.
Send instant messages to any contact who is online. You can check the contact's status option to determine at a glance who is available to chat. For information about status options, see Online status options. Note You need a Windows Live ID account to use Messenger for Mac. To sign up for a free Windows Live ID account, visit the Windows Live ID Web site. Converse with a group of friends. Invite up to 15 friends to participate in the same conversation. For more information, see Send and receive instant messages. See and hear your contacts. Make computer-to-computer audio or video calls for face-to-face interaction with your contacts. For more information, see Make an audio call and Make a video call. Send and receive instant messages to your mobile contacts. Use your computer to exchange instant messages with many models of mobile devices. For more information, see Send an instant message to a mobile device.

Be creative and have fun.

Choose a display picture. You can select from a variety of display pictures or create your own. For more information, see Add or change your display picture. Express your feelings. Add emoticons to your messages or create your own. For more information, see the following topics: Express yourself with emoticons. Note You can use the following file formats to create custom emoticons: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, and Animated GIF. To be used as an emoticon, a file must be 150 KB or smaller. Animated GIFs must also be 50 x 50 pixels or smaller.

Be safer.
Block messages from specific people. Don't tolerate annoying messages. With the click of a button, you can block a contact from sending messages to you or seeing your status. For more information, see Set your status option.

Getting Started

Sign in to or out of Messenger for Mac

To use Messenger for Mac, you must have a Windows Live ID. To sign up for a free Windows Live ID account, visit the Windows Live ID Web site. Do any of the following: Sign in to Messenger for Mac 1. In the Messenger for Mac sign-in window, do one of the following: To Sign in to the current account Sign in to a different account Do this Click Sign In. Click Sign in with a different account or change your online status.

2.

Type your e-mail address and password, if required. Note You can sign in to only one personal account at a time. To sign in with a different account, in the Messenger for Mac sign-in window, click Sign in with a different account or change your online status.

Sign out of an account After you sign out of an account, you cannot send or receive messages, and you appear offline to other people. On the Network menu, click Sign Out.

See also
Stop Messenger from opening automatically when I start my computer Clear password or user accounts Set your status option I can't sign in to my personal account

Getting Started

Reset or change the password for a personal account

You need to use a Windows Live ID for signing into Messenger for Mac. If you forget your password, you can reset it on the Windows Live Web site. After you sign in to the Windows Live accounts page, you can change a password. 1. 2. Visit the Windows Live page.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

See also
Sign in or out of Messenger for Mac

Set your status option

By setting your status options, also known as "presence," your contacts can see whether you're available to chat and/or choose the best way to try to reach you. Do any of the following: Set your sign-in status When you set your status at the sign-in window, Messenger for Mac remembers the status even after you sign out and assigns the same sign-in status the next time you sign in. 1. 2. In the Messenger for Mac sign-in window, click Sign in with a different account or change your online status. In the Status drop-down box, click the desired status. Note To learn more about the different status options, see Online status options. Change your status 1. 2. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. In the Contacts window, click the display picture next to your name, and then click the description that best describes your status.

Getting Started

Change the time interval at which your status changes to Away You can set the idle time that you want to elapse before Messenger changes your status to Away. Idle time is when your computer is not receiving input from the keyboard, mouse, or voice commands. 1. 2. 3. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. On the Messenger menu, click Preferences. Click General, and then under Status, enter a number after Show me as "Away" when I'm inactive for. Tip If you don't want Messenger to automatically change your status to Away, clear the check box.

See also
Online status options See other users without being seen Sign in or out of Messenger for Mac

Online status options

The following table explain your options for broadcasting your availability to other contacts and for controlling interruptions. Online status is also known as "presence." Status Available Icon Description You are online and can participate in conversations. You are online but might be unable to communicate. You receive messages, but you do not receive alerts, and sounds do not play. By default, if you are running a full-screen application, such as a PowerPoint presentation, your Messenger status is Busy. To change this setting, on the Messenger menu, click Preferences. Click General, and then clear the Set status to Do Not Disturb when I'm running full-screen programs check box. Notes

Busy

Getting Started

Status Be Right Back Away

Icon

Description You are online but might be unable to communicate. You are online but might be unable to communicate. You are online but might be unable to communicate. You are online but might be unable to communicate. You can send messages, but contacts cannot send messages to you unless you start the conversation. You have signed out of your account.

Notes You can send and receive messages.

You can send and receive messages.

In a Call

You can send and receive messages.

Out to Lunch Appear Offline

You can send and receive messages.

Offline

Note Some contacts might have an online status that is not available in Messenger for Mac.

See also
Set your status option Customize alerts and sounds

Getting Started

Turn on Accessibility options

Microsoft Office applications use the universal access features of Mac OS X. Universal access features can make it easier to use your computer if it is difficult for you to see or hear or if you have limited dexterity. Note To learn about Macintosh services and products for people with disabilities, visit the Apple Accessibility Web page at http://www.apple.com/accessibility. Do any of the following: Turn on VoiceOver Hear most menu commands, dialog boxes, and other elements on your computer screen. VoiceOver does not work with the contents of the main document window. For example, VoiceOver does not read your text in a Word document. 1. 2. 3. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences. Under System, click Universal Access. On the Seeing tab, under VoiceOver, click On.

Turn on Zoom Zoom in on the screen image to make it appear larger. 1. 2. 3. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences. Under System, click Universal Access. On the Seeing tab, under Zoom, click On.

Listen to any selected text 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences. Under System, click Speech. On the Text to Speech tab, select the Speak selected text when the key is pressed check box. Press the keyboard shortcut that you want to use to hear text read aloud, and then click OK. In any Office application, select some text, and then press the keyboard shortcut to hear the text read aloud.

Getting Started

Use keyboard shortcuts to move within an Office application 1. 2. Open any Office application. Do any of the following: To switch the focus to Menu bar View Switcher Toolbar Press CONTROL+F2 CONTROL+F7 CONTROL+F10

Turn on other universal access features of Mac OS X 1. 2. 3. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences. Under System, click Universal Access. Do any of the following: Tab Seeing Hearing Keyboard Under Display Flash Sticky keys Do this Switch the screen to black on white or white on black, and make other contrast improvements. Flash the screen when a warning sound occurs. Turn on sticky keys to help you press multiple keys and display pressed keys on the screen. Office applications do not override the Mac OS X full keyboard navigation keyboard shortcuts that you can use to move to, select, or open items on the screen. Keyboard Keyboard Mouse Slow keys Key repeat rate Mouse keys Turn on slow keys to help you make the computer respond correctly when you press keys. Change how fast a key repeats when you press it. Turn on mouse keys to control the pointer by using the numeric keypad.

Getting Started

Tab Mouse Mouse

Under Cursor size Full keyboard access

Do this Make the pointer larger for increased visibility. Use the keyboard instead of the mouse to move between controls. For a list of full keyboard navigation keyboard shortcuts, see Mac Help. Change how fast the pointer moves across the screen and how fast scroll wheels function.

Mouse

Tracking and scrolling speed

See also
Keyboard shortcuts for Messenger

Getting Started

Keyboard shortcuts for Messenger

You can use the following keyboard shortcuts to do tasks efficiently in Messenger. To do this Sign in or sign out Cancel sign in Quit Messenger Show or hide the personal contact list Show or hide the corporate contact list Close the active window (contact list or message window) Display or hide the toolbar in the main or message window Open the Conversation History Open your e-mail application Add a contact View information about the selected contact Save an instant message Check spelling Undo Cut Copy Paste Select everything in the message window Press
+G +. +Q +L

OPTION++L
+W +T +O +E

SHIFT++A
+I +S

SHIFT++:
+Z +X +C +V +A

See also
Keyboard shortcuts for emoticons Open your e-mail application from Messenger

Getting Started

Keyboard shortcuts for emoticons

You can add emoticons in the conversation window by using keyboard shortcuts. For example, if you type :), Messenger converts the characters into a smiley emoticon . Note You can also create or import a custom emoticon. For more information see, Express yourself with emoticons. To send this Type this :-) or :) :-D or :d :-O or :o :-P or :p ;-) or ;) :-( or :( :-S or :s :-l or :l :'( :-$ or :$ (H) or (h) :-@ or:@ (A) or (a) (6) :-# 8ol 8-l To send this Type this (U) or (u) (K) or (k) (G) or (g) (F) or (f) (W) or (w) (P) or (p) (~) (@) (&) (T) or (t) (I) or (I) (8) (S) (*) (E) or (e) (O) or (o) (M) or (m)

10

Getting Started To send this Type this ^o) :-* +o( :^) *-) <:o) 8-) l-) (c) or (C) (Y) or (y) (N) or (n) (B) or (b) (D) or (d) (X) or (x) (Z) or (z) ({) (}) :-[ or :[ (^) (L) or (l) To send this Type this (sn) (bah) (pl) (ll) (pi) (so) (au) (ap) (um) (ip) (co) (mp) (st) (li) (mo) (tu) (#) (R) or (r) (h5) (yn)

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Communicating with Contacts

Communicating with Contacts

Send and receive instant messages
You can send a message to contacts who have a Windows Live ID or a Yahoo! ID. Do any of the following: Send an instant message to one person 1. 2. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. In the Contacts window, do one of the following: To send a message to An existing contact who is online A person who is not in your contact list Do this Double-click the contact. Available contacts display the icon.

On the Contacts window, click Send, click Other, type the person's e-mail address, and then click OK. To add this person as a contact, click Add Contact in the conversation window.

3. Notes

In the lower part of the conversation window, type your message, and then click Send. You can add contacts to a conversation. However, you must start the conversation with a single contact. Each message can be up to 400 characters long.

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Communicating with Contacts

Add more contacts to a conversation After you start a conversation, you can invite additional contacts to join. 1. 2. In the conversation window, click Invite Do one of the following: To invite An existing contact A person who is not in your contact list Do this Click the contact. Click Other, and then type the person's e-mail address. .

Note A total of 15 people, including you, can take part in a conversation. Receive an instant message invitation When someone sends you an instant message, an instant message alert appears in the bottom-right corner of your computer screen. 1. 2. Click anywhere in the left pane of the invitation alert. In the conversation window, type your response in the message area, and then press ENTER.

See also
Send an instant message to a mobile device Add, delete, or block a contact from Messenger for Mac Make a video call Make an audio call

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Communicating with Contacts

Express yourself with emoticons

Emoticons are graphic images that you can use to express your emotions within an instant message conversation. Do any of the following: Add an emoticon to a message 1. 2. Notes To turn off emoticons, on the Messenger menu, click Preferences, and then click Appearance. Under Message Font Style, clear the check boxes for the emoticons that you don't want. You can add additional emoticons to the emoticon menu. Click click . To add an emoticon, select its check box. , and then In the conversation window, click .

Click the emoticon that you want to use, and then click Send.

Depending on a contact's messaging application and messaging service, custom emoticons and some standard emoticons might not be visible to that contact.

You can also create your own emoticons. Important You can use the following file formats for custom emoticons: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, and Animated GIF. To be used as an emoticon, a file must be 150 KB or smaller. Animated GIFs must also be 50 x 50 pixels or smaller.

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Communicating with Contacts

Import a custom emoticon 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. On the Edit menu, click Emoticons. At the bottom of the Emoticons screen, click .

Click Select File, and then locate the picture or animation on your computer. Under Type a shortcut, enter a keyboard shortcut that you want to use when adding this emoticon to your messages. After you have created an emoticon, you can add it to a message by typing its shortcut, or by selecting it from the emoticon menu in the message window.

Notes Depending on a contact's messaging application and messaging service, custom emoticons and some standard emoticons might not be visible to that contact. The emoticon menu can display up to 59 emoticons. To select which emoticons you want on the emoticon menu, on the Edit menu, click Emoticons, and then select or clear the check boxes.

Edit or delete a custom emoticon If you created an emoticon, you can delete it or edit its name and keyboard shortcut. 1. 2. 3. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. On the Edit menu, click Emoticons. Click a custom emoticon, and then do one of the following: To Delete the emoticon Edit the name or keyboard shortcut for the emoticon Do this At the bottom of the Emoticons screen, click At the bottom of the Emoticons screen, click . .

15

Communicating with Contacts

Note If you do not want to show custom emoticons in messages, click the display picture next to your name, and then click Personal Settings. Under Message Font Style, clear the Show custom emoticons in instant messages check box.

See also
Keyboard shortcuts for emoticons

Make an audio call

With a personal account, you can use Messenger for Mac to talk with contacts in your network. You can also conduct conference calls by inviting multiple contacts to join the conversation. During an audio call, you can also use Messenger to send files and text messages to call participants. To use audio calling, both you and your contact must have a microphone and either speakers or headphones. If your computer does not have a built-in microphone, you can purchase a Maccompatible microphone for your computer. To learn about how to set up these devices to work with your computer, see Mac Help. The following list shows a sample of the devices that you can use for an audio/video chat. A built-in Apple iSight webcam An external Apple iSight webcam Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks

16

Communicating with Contacts To make an audio call, perform the following steps. 1. In the Contacts window, click Call , and then click a contact.

If the contact whom you want is not listed, click Other, and then type the contact's email address. Note In the Call menu, Messenger lists only contacts who are currently online. 2. 3. After your contact accepts the call, talk into the microphone. Do any of the following: To To invite other contacts to the audio call Mute or unmute your microphone Adjust the volume Add video to the call End the audio part of the call, but leave the message window open Leave the conversation completely Notes If you are in a text conversation with a contact, you can add audio and video to the or Video . conversation. In the conversation window, click Call When you save a conversation in Conversation History, only the text portion is saved. Audio and video are not saved. Do this Click Invite Click . . , and then click a contact.

Drag the volume slider Click Video Click . .

Close the conversation window.

See also
Make a video call Audio or video quality is poor Im unable to use the audio services in my audio or video call

17

Communicating with Contacts

Make a video call

With a personal account, you can use Messenger to make video calls to contacts in your network. You can also conduct video conference calls by inviting multiple contacts to join the conversation. During a video call, you can also use Messenger to send files and text messages. To use video calling, you must have a webcam, a microphone, and either speakers or headphones. If your computer does not have a built-in webcam and microphone, you can purchase a Maccompatible device to attach to your computer. To learn about how to set up these devices to work with your computer, see Mac Help. The following list shows a sample of the devices that you can use for an audio/video chat. A built-in Apple iSight webcam An external Apple iSight webcam Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks

To make a video call, perform the following steps. 1. In the Contacts window, click Video , and then click a contact.

If the contact whom you want is not listed, click Other, and then type the contact's email address. Note On the Video menu, Messenger lists only contacts who are currently online. 2. 3. After your contact accepts the call, talk into the microphone. Do any of the following: To Invite other contacts to join the video call Do this Click Invite contact. Click Click Click . . . , and then click a

Put audio and video on hold or resume a call Mute or unmute your microphone Change the video to full-screen mode or back to normal size

18

Communicating with Contacts

To Show or hide display pictures of all participants or self during a conversation Adjust the volume

Do this Click Display Pictures Drag the volume slider . . . .

Change to an audio-only call End the video and audio parts of the call, but leave the message window open Leave the conversation completely Notes

Click Call Click

Close the conversation window.

If you are in a text conversation with a contact, you can add audio and video to the conversation. In the conversation window, click Call or Video .

When you save a conversation in Conversation History, only the text portion is saved. Audio and video are not saved.

See also
Make an audio call Audio or video quality is poor Im unable to use the audio services in my audio or video call

Send an instant message to a mobile device

This feature is not available in all markets. You can send an instant message from Messenger for Mac to a mobile device that can receive text messages. Important To use this feature, you and your contact must have mobile devices that are set up with MSN Mobile.

19

Communicating with Contacts Do any of the following: Set up your mobile device with MSN Mobile 1. 2. 3. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. On the Messenger menu, click Preferences, and then click Mobile Under Mobile Account, click Mobile Settings. The MSN Mobile Web site opens. 4. Follow the instructions on the screen. Tip If you are in the United States and your wireless provider is AT&T, and you dont see AT&T on the Wireless service provider pop-up menu, click Cingular Media Net. Send a message to a contact's mobile device Important Your service provider might charge you for text messages that you send or receive when you use MSN Mobile. Refer to your wireless service plan for more information. 1. 2. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. In the Personal Contacts window, click Page , and then click a contact. .

The Page menu displays your contacts who have set up their devices with MSN Mobile. To include your telephone number in the message, on the Page window, click Callback Number , and then click a telephone number.

Tip To add your phone numbers to the Callback Number menu, click Callback Number 3. , and then click Edit Phone Numbers.

In the bottom pane of the Page window, enter your message, and then click Send.

20

Communicating with Contacts Notes When you send a message to a mobile device, the message that you send includes your e-mail address and, if you've included it, your callback telephone number. The recipient of your message cannot reply to Messenger.

See also
Send and receive instant messages Customize alerts and sounds

Send or receive a file

You can use Messenger for Mac to exchange files with a contact who is online. Note Messenger cannot exchange files with contacts on the Yahoo! or AOL networks. Also, there is no option to share files or folders in Messenger for Mac. This option is available only with Windows Live Messenger. Messenger for Mac allows you to send one file at a time to a contact who is online. Do any of the following: Send a file 1. Do any of the following: To send a file from The contacts window The conversation window Click Send File Send File , and then select a contact. .

If your conversation includes multiple contacts, select the contact whom you want to send the file to. 2. Locate the file that you want, and then click Choose. Messenger waits for the contact to accept the file transfer, and then sends the file. Notes You can drag a file into the conversation window to send it. You can send a file to only one contact at a time. The contact must be online to receive a file.

21

Communicating with Contacts Receive and open a file When a contact sends you a file, you are notified in the conversation window. 1. To receive the file, click Accept. The file is saved to your computer. 2. Do one of the following: To Open the folder that contains the file Open the file later Do this Click the file in the conversation window. Open the file from the folder that stores received files. By default, this is the Desktop folder.

Change the folder that stores received files 1. 2. 3. On the Messenger menu, click Preferences, and then click General Under Received Files, click Change. Select the folder that you want, and then click Choose. .

Open your e-mail application from Messenger

If one of your contacts is unavailable for instant messaging, you can open your e-mail application from Messenger to send the contact an e-mail message. If you sign in to Messenger with a Windows Live ID, the following procedure opens your Windows Live Hotmail inbox. Note To sign up for a free Windows Live ID account, visit the Windows Live ID 1. 2. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. In the contact list window, click Mail . Web site.

See also
Require a password to access Windows Live sites Online status options

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Organizing Contacts

Organizing Contacts
Add, delete, or block a contact from Messenger for Mac
With a personal account, you can add contacts who have a Windows Live ID or a Yahoo! ID and contacts from federated Office Communications Server 2007. Windows Live IDs include all e-mail accounts ending in "@live.com", "@hotmail.com", "@msn.com" and other accounts registered with Windows Live. Do any of the following: Add a contact 1. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. Note To learn how to sign in to Messenger for Mac, see Sign in or out of Messenger for Mac 2. 3. Tips If you use your personal account on a local area network, you can use Bonjour to see other Messenger for Mac Bonjour users on your network who are online and located near you. To learn more, see Use Bonjour to find nearby Messenger for Mac users. If you have a list of contacts in another messaging application, you might be able to import the whole list of contacts into Messenger. In the Contacts window, click Add Follow the instructions on the screen. .

Block a contact When you block a contact, that person cannot see your online status or send you messages. You can also delete a contact from your contact list. 1. 2. 3. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. On the Contact menu, click Privacy. Under Visibility and Privacy, in the My Allow List, click the contact whom you want to block, and then click Block.

Tip To block a contact in your contact list, hold down CONTROL, click the contact, and then click Block.

23

Organizing Contacts

Delete a contact 1. 2. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. Hold down CONTROL and click the contact in the contact list, and then click Delete Contact. Tip To also block the contact, select the I also want to block this person check box. 3. Notes If you delete a contact without also blocking the contact, that person can still see your online status and send you messages. To restore a deleted contact, on the Contact menu, click Privacy. Under My Allow List or My Block List, hold down CONTROL and click the contact, and then click Add to Contacts. Click Delete.

Block all unknown senders from sending messages to a personal account For a personal account, you can block everyone who is not on the My Allow List. Blocked users cannot send you messages or see your online status. 1. 2. On the Contact menu, click Privacy. Under Visibility and Privacy, select the Only users on my Allow List can see my status and send me messages check box.

See also
Import or export contacts Assign a nickname to a personal contact Organize contacts by group or online status

24

Organizing Contacts

Import or export contacts

You can transfer messaging contacts between different accounts by using a .ctt file. Many messaging applications can export contacts as a .ctt file. To find out how to export contacts as a .ctt file, see the documentation for the application. Note When you set up the account in Messenger, your existing messaging contacts appear automatically in Windows Live accounts and some corporate accounts. Do any of the following: Import contacts 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In the application that you want to export from, export the contacts as a .ctt file, and then save the file to your Mac. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. Click the contacts window that you want to import contacts into. On the File menu, click Import Contacts from a Saved File. Locate the file that you want, and then click Choose.

Export contacts 1. 2. 3. 4. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. Click the contacts window that you want to export contacts from. On the File menu, click Save Contact List. Type a file name, choose a location, and then click Save.

See also
Add, delete, or block a contact from Messenger for Mac

25

Organizing Contacts

Use Bonjour to find nearby Messenger for Mac users

Bonjour, which is included in Mac OS X, makes it possible for computers on a network to detect one another. If you turn on Bonjour, your contact list includes other Messenger for Mac Bonjour users on your network who are online and located near you. You can send and receive messages with Bonjour users as you do with other contacts. Important If you select the Allow local Bonjour users to see me in their contact lists check box, other people on your network can see your e-mail address and online status. 1. 2. 3. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. On the Contact menu, click Privacy. Under Bonjour Settings, select the Show local Bonjour users in my contact list check box. To make yourself visible to other users, select the Allow local Bonjour users to see me in their contact lists check box. Notes After you turn on Bonjour, nearby Messenger for Mac users appear in your contact list in the Bonjour Users group. To add a Bonjour user as a contact, in the contact list under Bonjour Users, drag a name to another group in your contact list.

See also
See other users without being seen Add, delete, or block a contact from Messenger for Mac

26

Organizing Contacts

Organize contacts by group or online status

You can keep your contact list organized by arranging contacts into groups. Groups can contain coworkers, family, friends, or whatever classifications you want. Do any of the following: Create a group 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. Click the contact list to make sure that it is the active window. On the Contact menu, click Add a Group. Type a name for the group. Drag the contacts whom you want into the group.

Note If you have no groups set up in a personal account, Messenger automatically sets up four groups for you: Coworkers, Family, Friends, and Other Contacts. Sort a contact list You can sort your contacts by groups or by the online status of the contacts. Or, you can sort contacts by groups and separate the contacts who are currently offline. 1. 2. 3. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. Click the contact list to make sure that it is the active window. On the Contact menu, point to Sort Contacts by, and then click the sorting method that you want. Tip To sort contacts by groups but keep offline contacts separate, first sort contacts by groups. Then, on the Contact menu, click Group Offline Contacts Together.

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Organizing Contacts

Edit a group You can edit a group name and the contacts within a group. 1. 2. 3. 4. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. Click the contact list to make sure that it is the active window. On the Contact menu, point to Sort Contacts by, and then click Groups. Do any of the following: To Rename a group Change which contacts are in a group Copy a contact to another group Remove a copied contact from a group Delete a group 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. Click the contact list to make sure that it is the active window. On the Contact menu, point to Sort Contacts by, and then click Groups. Drag the contacts from the group that you want to delete to another group. Hold down CONTROL and click the group name, and then click Delete Group. Do this Hold down CONTROL and click the group name. Click Rename Group, and then type a new name. Drag contacts between groups. Hold down OPTION as you drag the contact between groups. Hold down CONTROL, click the contact, and then click Remove Contact from Group.

See also
Import or export contacts Set your status option

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Organizing Contacts

See who added you to his or her contact list

1. 2. 3. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. On the Messenger menu, click Preferences, and then click Privacy Next to Which users have added me to their contact list, click View. .

See also
Add, delete, or block a contact from Messenger for Mac Organize contacts by group or online status See other users without being seen

Assign a nickname to a Messenger for Mac contact

If you assign a nickname to a personal contact, you see the nickname in your Messenger for Mac Contacts list. 1. 2. Notes To delete a nickname, hold down CONTROL, click the contact, and then click Edit nickname. Select the nickname, press DELETE, and then press RETURN. When you assign a nickname to a contact, that nickname is saved on the computer that you are currently using. You cannot see the nickname if you log in to your account on a different computer. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. In the Contacts list, hold down CONTROL and click the contact, click Add a nickname, and then type a nickname.

See also
Organize contacts by group or online status See who added you to his or her contact list

29

Customizing Messenger for Mac

Customizing Messenger for Mac

Customize alerts and sounds
You can customize your preferences to notify you of certain events, such as when a contact comes online or when you receive an instant message. You can also customize what sound plays, if any, during an alert. Messenger alerts can also work together with Windows Live Alerts. Through Windows Live Alerts, you can sign up to be notified of news headlines, weather forecasts, sports scores, and more. 1. 2. 3. On the Messenger menu, click Preferences. Click Alerts .

Do any of the following: To Turn alerts on or off Change the sounds that accompany alerts Sign up for or edit Windows Live Alerts Do this Under Alerts, select or clear the check boxes for each type of alert. Under Alerts, click Sounds, and then choose a sound for each type of alert. Under Windows Live Alerts, click Windows Live Alerts Settings.

Note The Display alerts when e-mail is received check box works only with Windows Live email accounts. If you have other types of e-mail accounts set up in Outlook for Mac, you can customize alerts and sounds in the Notifications section of Entourage Preferences.

See also
Require a password to access Windows Live sites Format the font in messages

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Customizing Messenger for Mac

Customize your display name and personal message

Your display name is seen by your contacts on their computers. Your display name also identifies your contributions to a conversation in the conversation window. You can also display a personal message that your contacts see in their contact lists next to your display name. For example, you can use a personal message for status details, such as when you plan to be back online. Or use a personal message to broadcast your current mood or express a favorite quotation. Change your display name Note A contact can assign a nickname to you within his or her messaging application. When this happens, that contact sees only the nickname that he or she assigns to you, not the display name that you choose. 1. 2. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. In the Contacts window, click your name, and then type a new name.

Change your personal message 1. 2. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. In the Contacts window, under your display name, click the existing personal message, and then type a new message.

Clear password or user accounts

To improve security, you can clear passwords and user accounts from the sign-in window. Clearing passwords and user accounts is especially important if multiple people use the same computer. Do any of the following: Clear a password from the sign-in window Important If you have multiple accounts set up, you must clear each password separately. 1. 2. 3. Close any conversation windows. If you are already signed in to Messenger, on the Network menu, click Sign Out. In the contacts window, click Sign in with a different account or change your online status.

31

Customizing Messenger for Mac 4. 5. On the E-mail address pop-up menu, click the account whose password you want to clear. Clear the Remember my password check box.

Note When you clear a password from Messenger, the password is not deleted from the keychain on your computer. For information about the keychain, see Mac Help. Clear all user accounts You should clear user accounts if you sign in from a public computer. You might also want to clear user accounts if you allowed someone to sign in to his or her account on your computer. When you clear user accounts, account IDs, passwords, display pictures, and display names are deleted. Contacts are not deleted from accounts. 1. 2. 3. 4. Close any conversation windows. If you are already signed in to Messenger, on the Network menu, click Sign Out. In the contacts window, click Sign in with a different account or change your online status. Click Clear Account History, and then click Clear History.

Important When you clear user accounts, saved conversations are not deleted from the Conversation History. To delete conversations from the Conversation History, on the View menu, click Conversation History. Select the conversations that you want to delete, and then click Delete .

See also
Security tips Sign in or out of Messenger for Mac Require a password to access Windows Live sites

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Customizing Messenger for Mac

Stop Messenger from opening automatically when I start my computer

1. 2. On the Messenger menu, click Preferences, and then click General . Under Start, clear the Automatically start Messenger when I start my computer check box.

Note You can open Messenger manually at any time by double-clicking the Messenger application icon. The application icon is often located in the Applications folder.

See also
Sign in or out of Messenger for Mac

Add or change your display picture

A display picture is a visual representation of you that both you and your contacts can see during a conversation. You can change your display picture at any time. You can select from many standard Messenger pictures, or use one of your own. You can convert many images that you have stored on your computer to your display picture. Portable Network Graphics (.png) and Joint Photographic Experts Group (.jpg) files make good display pictures.

The following table lists the file types supported by Messenger. File type Windows Bitmap Joint Photographic Experts Group Portable Document Format Macintosh Picture Portable Network Graphics Photoshop Document File type extension .bmp .jpg, .jp2 .pdf .pict .png .psd

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Customizing Messenger for Mac

File type QuickTime Image Format Silicon Graphics Incorporated Targa Tagged Image File Format Do any of the following: Add or change your display picture 1. 2. 3. Sign in to Messenger for Mac.

File type extension .qtif .sgi .tga .tiff

In the Contacts window, click your display picture, and then click Change Display Picture. Do one of the following: To Use a standard Messenger picture Add your own picture Do this Select a picture from the list. Click , find the picture that you want, and then click Choose.

Note To show display pictures of all the participants during a conversation, in the conversation window, click Display Pictures Stop showing a display picture You can stop other users from seeing your display picture. You can also stop showing any display pictures in your conversation window. 1. 2. 3. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. In the Contacts window, click your display picture, and then click Personal Settings. Under Display Picture, clear the check boxes for the options that you do not want. .

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Customizing Messenger for Mac

Format the font in messages

You can change the font type, size, color, and style of the messages in your conversation window. Other people in your conversation can see the formatting if the fonts are compatible with their messaging applications. 1. 2. 3. Notes To change font formatting from the conversation window, click . On the Messenger menu, click Preferences. Click Appearance , and then under Message Font Style, click Edit Font.

Select the options that you want.

When you view a conversation in the Conversation History, the saved version displays the font formatting that was used for that conversation.

See also
Express yourself with emoticons Save and view a conversation history

Check spelling
As you type messages, Messenger for Mac indicates misspelled words with a red dotted underline. You can check for suggested corrections or ignore the misspelled word. Or, to make Messenger stop flagging a certain word as misspelled such as a friend's name you can add the word to the spelling dictionary. Messenger uses the spelling checker that is built in to Mac OS X. Do any of the following:

35

Customizing Messenger for Mac

Check spelling for a single word 1. 2. Hold down CONTROL and click the underlined word. Do one of the following: To Ignore the misspelled word for the rest of the conversation Add a word to the spelling dictionary Choose from suggested spelling corrections Do this Click Ignore Spelling. Click Learn Spelling. Click the spelling that you want.

Note To indicate misspelled words with a red dotted underline, open a conversation window, and then on the Edit menu, point to Spelling. Make sure that there is a check mark next to Check Spelling as You Type. Check spelling for a message Before you click Send, you can check spelling for all the words in the conversation window. 1. 2. On the Edit menu, point to Spelling, and then click Show Spelling and Grammar. For each word highlighted in the Spelling window, do one of the following: To Ignore the misspelling Add a word to the spelling dictionary Use one of the suggested corrections Do this Click Ignore. Click Learn. Click the spelling that you want, and then click Change.

Don't check spelling as you type If you do not want to indicate misspelled words with a red dotted underline as you type, you can turn off the spelling checker. On the Edit menu, point to Spelling, and then clear the check mark next to Check Spelling as You Type.

See also
Keyboard shortcuts for Messenger Format the font in messages

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Customizing Messenger for Mac

See other users without being seen

You can use the Appear Offline status to see which of your contacts are online but not reveal that you are online yourself. Do any of the following: Change your status if you are already signed in In the Contacts window, click the display picture next to your name, and then click Appear Offline.

Change your status before you sign in 1. 2. 3. In the Contacts window, click Sign in with a different account or change your online status. On the Status pop-up menu, click Appear Offline. Enter your sign-in information, and then click Sign In.

Note If you send an instant message while your status is Appear Offline, you still appear offline to your message recipient.

See also
Set your status option Security tips

Show what music you're listening to

You can show your messaging contacts what you're listening to in iTunes. Your contacts see your currently playing iTunes track in their contact lists next to your display name. 1. 2. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. In the Contacts, click your display picture, and then click Turn on "What I'm Listening To".

Note If you show your music to your contacts, the song title and artist's name appear instead of a personal message.

See also
Add or change your display picture

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Customizing Messenger for Mac

Save and view a conversation history

You can save and view a text conversation in the Conversation History. In the Conversation History, text conversations are organized by contact name and then by date. All conversations that you save with a contact on a particular date are saved in a single log. When you save a conversation in Conversation History, only the text portion is saved. Audio and video are not saved. If you use the Project Center in Entourage, you can also save a single conversation as a note in a project. Do any of the following: Set preferences for saving all conversations Messenger can save conversations automatically, never save conversations, or ask whether to save each conversation. Important Before you set preferences for saving, you must complete at least one conversation with that account. Otherwise, Messenger does not save your preferences. 1. 2. 3. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. On the Messenger menu, click Preferences, and then click History Select the options that you want. To limit how long conversations are saved, click an option on the Delete all conversations pop-up menu. View a saved conversation 1. 2. 3. 4. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. On the View menu, click Conversation History. In the navigation pane, click All Archived Personal Messages or All Archived Corporate Messages, and then click a contact. On the right side, click the date of the conversation. .

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Security and Privacy Tips To search through the Conversation History, click the folder in the left pane that you want to search in. Type a word or phrase in the Search box. Conversations that contain the search term appear in the upper-right pane. To delete a conversation from the Conversation History, select the conversation, and then click Delete .

See also
Security tips Format the font in messages

Security and Privacy

Require a password to access Windows Live sites
Messenger can provide quick access to some Windows Live Web sites, such as your Windows Live Hotmail inbox and Windows Live Alerts. When you access these sites through Messenger, Messenger uses your Windows Live ID and password to log you in to the Windows Live Web site. To improve security, you can have Messenger ask for your password whenever you access a Windows Live site from Messenger. This is important if you share the computer with other people. 1. 2. 3. Sign in to Messenger for Mac. On the Contact menu, click Privacy, and then click the Personal tab. Select the check box under Windows Live ID Privacy.

See also
Clear password or user accounts Reset or change the password for a personal account Security tips

39

Security and Privacy

Receiving messages from unknown senders

A message that is sent to you by someone who is not on your contact list or the My Allow List might be junk mail. The following table explains your options when you receive a message from an unknown sender. Caution Never disclose your password, credit card number, social security number, or other personal information in an instant message conversation. To help prevent infection by malicious software, never accept or open any file or link in an instant message until you verify its authenticity with the sender. Option Accept Security implications If you recognize the e-mail address of the person trying to contact you, you can accept the message. After you accept a message, the conversation window opens, and you can add the person as a contact by clicking the Add Contact link. If you accept a message by mistake and then decide that the message is junk, click Block in the conversation window. This blocks that person from seeing your online status or contacting you again. Decline If the e-mail address is unfamiliar, you can decline the message. This closes the conversation window. The sender does not receive notification that the message was declined. You can change your preferences so that Messenger blocks all messages from unknown senders. Or, you can turn off warnings from Messenger when you receive a message from an unknown sender. For more information see, Add, delete, or block a contact from Messenger for Mac

Preferences

Note Declining a message from an unknown sender does not block the sender. To block a sender, you must add the sender as a contact, and then block the contact.

See also
Add, delete, or block a contact from Messenger for Mac Security tips

40

Security and Privacy

Security tips
General security tips
Never disclose your password or credit card number in an instant message conversation. To help prevent infection by malicious software, never accept or open any file or link in an instant message until you verify its authenticity with the sender. If you accept a message by mistake and then decide that the message is junk, click Block in the conversation window. This blocks that person from seeing your online status or contacting you again. Beware of messages from unknown senders. In the Privacy Preferences, you can choose to be alerted when you receive a message from an unknown sender. Or, you can automatically block all messages from users who are not on the My Allow List. Note To learn more about blocking a contact in Messenger, see Add, delete, or block a contact from Messenger for Mac

Security tips for use on a shared computer

Do not select the Remember my password check box on the sign-in screen. After you sign out, click Sign in with a different account or change your online status, and then click Clear Account History. Do not save your conversations in the Conversation History. The Conversation History is not deleted when you clear the account history.

See also
Clear password or user accounts Require a password to access Windows Live sites Save and view a conversation history

View the privacy statement

The privacy statement for Microsoft Messenger for Mac is available only online. After your computer is connected to the Internet, link to Privacy Statement for Microsoft Messenger for Mac 8 Beta to access the privacy statement.

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Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting
I cant sign in to my personal account
Cause: You don't have Windows Live ID credentials. Solution: Sign up for a Windows Live ID. To use the personal service in Messenger for Mac, you must have a Windows Live ID. You can sign up for a Windows Live ID on the Windows Live Web site. 1. 2. To sign up for a Windows Live ID, visit the Windows Live ID sign-up page (accountservices.passport.net). Follow the instructions on the screen.

Cause: The e-mail address and password were not typed correctly. Solution: Retype your e-mail address and password. Passwords are case-sensitive. If you forget the password for your Windows Live ID, you can reset it on the Windows Live Account Summary page (account.live.com). Cause: A firewall is preventing Messenger for Mac from signing in. Solution: Set up Messenger to use a proxy server. If you connect to the Internet from a local network (such as at work), you might have to enable proxy settings. These settings connect you to Web servers outside your organization's firewall. Your network administrator can give you the proxy settings that you have to use. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Make sure that you are signed out of Messenger. On the Messenger menu, click Preferences. Click Accounts, and then click the Personal tab. Under My Network Settings, click Manually configure settings, and then select the I use a proxy server check box. On the Type pop-up menu, click the type of proxy server that you are connecting to. In the Server box, type the address of the proxy server, without the "http://" prefix. Enter additional settings, such as a port number in the Port box. If your organization uses SOCKS Version 5.0 as the proxy type, enter a user name and password in the User name and Password boxes.

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Troubleshooting

Solution: Adjust the settings for the firewall that is built into Mac OS X. If the firewall is turned on, add Messenger as an allowed application. 1. 2. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences. Do one of the following: For this operating system Mac OS X v10.4 (Tiger) Mac OS X v10.5 (Leopard) 3. Do this Under Internet & Network, click Sharing, and then click the Firewall tab. Under Personal, click Security, and then click the Firewall tab.

Add Messenger as an allowed application. For more information, see Mac Help.

Solution: Set up your household router to allow Messenger. If you use a household router to connect to the Internet, the router might have a built-in firewall that prevents you from using Messenger. See the router documentation for more information about how to add Messenger to the firewall's allow list.

Cause: There is incorrect information saved in the preferences file. Solution: Delete the Messenger preferences file, and then reenter sign-in information. 1. 2. 3. In the Finder, open /Users/username/Library/Preferences/, and then drag the following files to the Trash: com.microsoft.Messenger.plist and com.microsoft.Messenger.rtc.plist. In /Users/username/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/, drag the following file to the Trash: Microsoft Messenger User Cache.plist. Open Messenger. The Messenger Setup Assistant opens. 4. Follow the steps in the Setup Assistant to reenter sign-in information.

See also
Reset or change the password for a personal account

43

Troubleshooting

When I plug in a webcam, iChat opens automatically

Cause: iChat is set to open automatically when you turn on your webcam. Solution: Change your iChat preferences. 1. 2. 3. Open iChat. On the iChat menu, click Preferences, and then click Video. Clear the Automatically open iChat when external camera is turned on check box.

See also
Make a video call

I can't change my display picture

Cause: The folder in which the display picture is stored is missing. Solution: Create the folder by opening conversation history. 1. 2. 3. Sign in to your personal account. On the View menu, click Conversation History. Close the Conversation History window. You can now change your display picture. Solution: Create the folder manually. 1. 2. In the Finder, open /Users/username/Documents/. On the File menu, click New Folder, and then type Microsoft User Data. You can now change your display picture.

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Troubleshooting

Audio or video quality is poor

Cause: The signal is weak on your wireless network. Solution: Move closer to the wireless access point. The wireless connection might improve if you are closer to the wireless access point. Solution: Find a different wireless access point to use. The performance of a wireless connection can decline if many wireless devices are connected to an access point. Interference can also come from other devices, such as mobile phones, cordless phones, or a microwave oven. Audio and video quality might improve if you connect to a wireless access point that is less busy or is receiving less interference. Solution: Switch to a wired connection. There is usually less interference on a wired network connection than on a wireless connection. Cause: Hardware is configured incorrectly. Solution: Make sure that the router or modem has the latest firmware available. For more information, visit the Web site for your router or modem manufacturer. A firmware update might offer network speed improvements. Solution: Check your connections. Check the network cables between your computer and router and between the router and modem. Make sure that they are plugged in and show no signs of damage. Cause: The network is experiencing heavy traffic. Solution: Try the audio or video call when the network is less busy. Audio and video quality should improve when there is less traffic on the network. Solution: Delay or stop other computers from performing heavy downloads or uploads. If other computers on the network are performing heavy downloads or uploads, this can cause congestion on the network. Audio and video call quality might improve if the uploading or downloading tasks can be delayed until after your call is completed.

See also
Im unable to use the video services in my video call Im unable to use the audio services in my audio or video call

45

Troubleshooting

Im unable to use the audio services in my audio or video call

Cause: The microphone is not connected correctly to the computer. Solution: Check your connections. For each computer participating in the conversation, check the connection between the microphone and the computer.

If the microphone is integrated with the webcam, make sure that the webcam is connected correctly. Cause: Sound is muted or turned down low in the conversation window. Solution: Check the settings in the conversation window. 1. 2. In the conversation window, make sure that Mute is not selected.

In the conversation window, make sure that the volume slider is not set too low.

Cause: Sound is muted or turned down low in the Mac OS settings. Solution: Check settings in System Preferences. 1. 2. 3. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences. Under Hardware, click Sound. On the Input tab, make sure that the correct device for sound input is selected. To see whether the microphone is working, speak into the microphone. You should see movement on the Input level display. Adjust the Input volume if it is necessary. 4. On the Output tab, make sure that the correct device for sound output is selected. Also make sure that the volume levels are not too low and that the Mute check box is cleared. Note For more information, see Mac Help.

See also
Make an audio call Make a video call Audio or video quality is poor

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Troubleshooting

Im unable to use the video services in my video call

Cause: Your computer is not recognizing your webcam. Solution: Check your connections. For each computer participating in the conversation, check the connection between the webcam and the computer. Many webcams have an "on" light that illuminates while the webcam is being used. Solution: Test the webcam with another application. 1. Open a second application that uses the webcam, such as Photo Booth or iChat. If the second application is displaying images from the webcam, the connection between the computer and webcam is working. If the second application does not recognize your webcam, see the documentation that was included with your webcam. 2. After you successfully test your webcam with a second application, close the second application. Messenger cannot access the webcam if it is being used by another application. Cause: Another application is using the webcam. Solution: Quit other applications that are using the webcam. If another application that uses a webcam is open, the webcam is not available to Messenger. Quit this application, and then start the video call again. Common applications that use webcams include iChat, Photo Booth, Skype, and Parallels. Cause: The webcam is not focusing correctly. Solution: Adjust the webcam settings. Some webcams must be focused manually to achieve optimal picture quality. For more information, check your webcams documentation. Cause: You're using a dial-up connection. Solution: Use a broadband connection. Audio and video calls require that you have a broadband connection to the Internet or your network.

See also
Im unable to use the audio services in my audio or video call Audio or video quality is poor

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