Settings on AIM for Mac

The AIM® for Mac® software has many settings that can be customized to suit your needs. The settings on AIM for Mac include General, Buddy List®, IM (Instant Message), Away Message, Sounds, Expressions, Privacy, Screen Name, and Connection.

• General settings
• Buddy List settings
• IM settings
• Away Message settings
• Sounds
• Expressions
• Privacy settings
• Screen Names
• Connection settings

General settings

The following settings are available under the General tab:

• Bounce Dock icon for incoming IMs: Select this box to enable the AIM® dock icon to bounce whenever you receive an instant message.
• Show AIM start page when I sign in: Select this box to launch the AIM start page every time you sign on.
• Automatically check for updates: Select this box to automatically check for AIM for Mac updates.
• Default AIM Client: Click the drop-down menu, and then choose the default chat software. When you click the chat icon on any Web site, the default chat software you choose will launch automatically.
• Do not display notifications: Select this option to disable notifications.
• Use AIM to display notifications: Select this option to enable notifications.
• Use Growl to display notifications: Select this option to enable Growl to display notifications.
• Growl Preferences: Click this button to edit your Growl Preferences.

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Buddy List settings

AIM for Mac gives you the ability to view as much or as little information about your buddies as you'd like to. Simply drag the slider towards More Buddies to view limited information about your buddies. Drag the slider towards More Detail to view your buddy's icon and other related information.

Other Buddy List settings include the following:

• Show buddy flyout: Select this box if you wish see information about a buddy by just hovering over his/her name on your buddy list.
• Group Row Theme: Click Default to change the Group Row themes.
• Buddy List view transition: Choose how you wish to see the Buddy List transition when you click various tabs like Lifestream and Me.
• Use same window size for Buddy List views: Keep the Buddy List window size standard when you switch to various tabs on the Buddy List.
• Lifestream: Keep tabs on what's going on with your buddies with AIM Lifestream. You can add Facebook or Twitter services to Lifestream so that you never miss an update! The Lifestream Settings button lets you personalize this experience.
• Mobile: Stay connected with your buddies at all times and have instant messages delivered right to your phone. Click Register a Mobile Device and follow the on-screen instructions.

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IM settings

Want to download files that you receive to a location of your choice? Or would you like to auto-accept instant messages from unknown senders? Check out these and more settings on the IM tab.

• Use the Return key to send an Instant Message: Select this box to send instant messages to your buddies by just tapping the Return key after typing your message.
• Use Grouped IMs to display IMs: Do you find it annoying to toggle between multiple instant message screens while IMing your buddies? Group all your instant messages into one single group by selecting this box.
• Auto-accept IMs from unknown senders: Selecting this box will allow you to receive instant messages from unknown senders. Unknown senders include people you may know but are not on your buddy list or people you don't know.
• Show timestamp: Timestamp allows you to know the exact time you sent or received an instant message. Just check the Show timestamp box to activate this feature.
• Warn before closing IM window if multiple tabs are open: When you group instant messages, your chats with 2 or more buddies get grouped into one IM window. Closing the IM window might close your chats with other buddies as well. Select this box to receive a warning in such an event.
• Default Font: Define the default font, font color, font size, font type, and more. This will be the default font for all your chat sessions.
• File Transfer: Change the default location for saving files sent to you through instant messages.
• Auto-accept file transfers from buddies on my Buddy List: Choose this option to automatically accept all files sent to you by people on your buddy list.
• Enable IM logging: Selecting this box will save all your IM conversations as HTML files.
• Save log files to: Change the default location for saving your IM conversations.

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Away Message settings

Add, edit, or delete an away message on the Away Message tab.

• Set my status to Available when I send an IM while I am Away: You can choose to have your away message turned on and still send instant messages to a buddy. Select this box to keep the away message on when you send an away message. Clear the check box to turn off the away message when you send an instant message.

For more information on how to add, edit, or delete away messages, please visit the online help article Away messages on AIM for Mac.

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Sounds

Choose the sound you want to play every time you send or receive an IM, your buddy signs on or signs off, you receive an invite to a talk session, or you disconnect from talk sessions.

• When I send an IM, play: When you send an instant message, you can choose to play the default AOL sound or the Expressions Buddy Sound. By choosing no sound, you can turn off the sounds.
• When buddies send me an IM, play: When you receive an instant message, you can choose from 3 options: no sound, the default AOL sound, or their Expressions Buddy Sound.
• Play sound only on the first message I receive: Play sound only for the first message from a user. No sounds will be played for subsequent messages sent by that user for that instant message session.
• Speak incoming messages using System Voice: Choose this option if you'd like AIM to read your instant messages using the system voice.
• When buddies sign in, play: Choose how you wish to be notified when a buddy signs in: no sound, the default AOL sound, or their Expressions Buddy Sound.
• When buddies sign out, play: Choose how you wish to be notified when a buddy signs out: no sound, the default AOL sound, or their Expressions Buddy Sound.

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Expressions

Want to personalize your expressions including your buddy icon, wallpaper, or sounds? Make your buddy icon disappear or simply use a buddy icon.

• Choose my Buddy Icon, wallpaper, emoticons, and sounds: Click Edit My Expressions to personalize your buddy icon, wallpaper, emoticons, and sounds.
• In the IM window: View or turn off Buddy Icons on your Buddy List.
• Display wallpaper: View or turn off wallpaper display during IM conversations.
• Display emoticons as text instead of images: View emoticons as text. For example, when a buddy sends you a smile emoticon, it would be displayed as :).

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Privacy settings

Concerned about talk and chat invitations and IMs from strangers? Want to block an annoying person from contacting you? Choose who can and can't contact you through AIM for Mac.

• Who can contact me?: Allow all users or only the users on your Buddy List to contact you. You can go a step further and choose to allow only some users to contact you by adding them to the Allow List. You can also Block all users or block specific users by adding them to the Block List.
• Allow others to see: You can allow users to see whether you are idle, typing a response, or using a mobile device by selecting the appropriate check boxes.
• Who can see my Buddy List: Control who can see your Buddy List.

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Screen Names

View the screen names of all the people who have signed on using the AIM for Mac software. You can remove any screen name by highlighting the screen name and then clicking the - button.

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Connection settings

If you are facing connection issues, you can define a different AIM Server and Port to fix the issue.

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