How do I control instant messages from someone I don't know?

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How do I control instant messages from someone I don't know?

AIM allows you to decide whether you want to accept IMs from people you may not know. When you get an IM from someone not on your Buddy List, you will get an IM window (as shown in the image below) with 5 choices:

  • Read IM
  • Close IM
  • Report this User
  • View Buddy Info
  • Add to Buddy List


If you accept an IM but don't wish to receive further messages from a particular Username, you can block that Username from sending you more messages. Alternatively, you can report the IM as spam by clicking Report this User. Even after reading the IM, you may report the sender as spam. You can only report a user that is not on your Buddy List and who initiated the conversation.

To learn more about privacy settings in AIM, read our online help article Change privacy settings in the AIM software.

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Last updated: 03-24-2011
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