January 29, 2009 on 4:40 pm | In 9.0 version | 41 Comments
If you’ve been experiencing sign-in issues with Yahoo! Messenger 9.0 (earlier post), you may want to try installing this latest version (9.0.0.2124).
While we have not fixed every issue that is causing sign-in problems, we think we’ve addressed one of them. So please try installing and signing in to this new version. Then leave us a comment to let us know how it went. Thanks,
Sarah Bacon
Product Manager
UPDATE: A newer version (9.0.0.2128) was released on Feb 5. to address these issues. More info here
January 28, 2009 on 10:00 am | In News, Web version | 329 Comments
Beginning yesterday, Yahoo! Mail started rolling out integrated IM and SMS to their Yahoo! Mail Classic users worldwide. Already a popular feature in the new Yahoo! Mail, Classic Mail users can now instant message or SMS a friend right from the Mail interface. Let’s take a look at how it works…
When you sign into Mail Classic, your IM contact list will appear on the left hand sidebar below your main folder list (screenshot). If your status says offline, just click on it and select “Available” to sign in. You’ll then see who’s available to chat and it will show you as online to other friends that have you in their address books. Or if you prefer, change your status to “Invisible” to see who’s online but remain hidden yourself. You can also set a custom status message or choose “Sign out of chat” to disable the feature altogether.
Within your contact list window you’ll see two groups: online contacts and mobile contacts. Online contacts are available friends that are in your Mail address book or your existing Yahoo! Messenger list (including Windows Live Messenger contacts). Mobile contacts are friends in your address book for whom you have a mobile phone number. Click an online contact to start an instant message conversation; click a mobile contact to send a free SMS text message to their phone*.
Once you start a conversation, a window pops up in the lower right corner of your Mail Classic page. You can move the window elsewhere by dragging the top bar or resize it by clicking and dragging on the lower right corner. As you move around in Mail, the conversation window stays put so it won’t interfere with your Mail tasks. If you’re not chatting and a new message comes in, the window pops up and you’ll hear a notification sound. If you need to move it out of the way, you can minimize the window or close it altogether.
The conversation window includes a tabbed interface so you can have multiple conversations at once without cluttering up your Mail page. Instant message on one tab, SMS on another. You’ll also find a menu full of familiar emoticons you can use in your chats.
View a full screenshot of the new features in Yahoo! Mail Classic
It’s also easy to chat with friends that aren’t in your list. Click the “New Chat” link below your online contacts list, enter their Yahoo! ID (or Yahoo! email address) or their Windows Live Messenger ID and start chatting. Similarly, if you’re chatting with someone who is not on your list, click “Add Contact” in the conversation window to add them to your list. You can also add contacts from the sidebar contact list via the “Add” link in the top bar. When you add a friend to your list, you’ll be able to see their availability and status. And if someone messages you in Mail that you don’t want to talk to, click the “Block Sender” link in the conversation window to prevent further messages from them.
There are also some preferences which can be accessed from the “Settings” link at the bottom of the contact list. Change where the contact list is located on the sidebar, turn new message sound alerts on or off, or send us feedback.
A few other things to keep in mind… If you’re already using Yahoo! Messenger, setting your status to “Available” in Mail will sign you out of Messenger since you can only be online in one or the other. This lightweight version of IM in Mail Classic is just that – light on features. It’s meant to offer the basic benefits of online availability, instant messaging and SMS. For the more robust features like webcam, instant file transfer, voice, LAUNCHcast etc., stick with the full version of Yahoo! Messenger. But if you’re on a computer where you can’t install Messenger but still want to IM, the IM feature in Mail is a handy alternative.
This new feature is rolling out to all Yahoo! Mail Classic users in the next few months. If you don’t see it right away in your account, please be patient! Or switch to new Yahoo! Mail anytime to try the feature there.
Please note that you cannot remove the new feature from your Classic Mail but you can disable it so it doesn’t sign you in when you go to Mail. When the page loads, look for the IM contact list on the left hand side. Click where your status says “Available” and instead select “Sign out of Chat”. This will disable the feature and will persist when you leave Mail and come back.
After you’ve tried the new IM and SMS features in Yahoo! Mail Classic, feel free to send us feedback about your experience.
Sarah Bacon
Product Manager
* Your recipient may be subject to a fee for receiving and replying to your SMS depending on their wireless data plan.
January 26, 2009 on 12:22 pm | In 9.0 version | 21 Comments
We know that some users are having trouble signing into 9.0 after installing the latest version (9.0.0.2112). The problem typically happens like this: you download and install the latest version but when you go to sign-in, you get an error and are asked to try again later. But even when you try later, the error continues.
If you are experiencing this issue with Yahoo! Messenger 9.0.0.2112 and are seeing an error like the one pictured with this post, we need your help in diagnosing the problem. Ideally, we’d like to hear from users in the U.S. or Canada that have this issue, and that are willing to be contacted by phone. If you fit this profile, please email us at ymessenger_2112@yahoo.com with your name, phone number and best time to contact you.
Please only contact us if you are interested in helping us troubleshoot this issue. Many thanks,
Sarah Bacon
Product Manager
UPDATE: As of 1/29, there is a new update, version 9.0.0.2124, which may help with one or more sign-in issues (but not all). Please download the latest version and try it out.
January 20, 2009 on 5:19 pm | In 9.0 version | 256 Comments
We know that some of our users are having problems when they try to install the latest version of Yahoo! Messenger 9.0 (9.0.0.2112). We’re working hard to fix the issue and want to ask for your help.
If you try to install 9.0 and find that it hangs at 99% and the installation never completes, you’re who we want to hear from. If you’re willing to help us troubleshoot the problem, please leave a comment here on the blog. When you comment, include your email address in the form where you can be contacted (note that it won’t be published but we’ll be able to see it). We’ll then contact you with some steps you can take to help us pinpoint the issue.
We know this is a frustrating issue and we’re working hard to get it resolved. If you are experiencing this issue and can help us with debugging it, please comment here on the blog.
Thanks for your patience,
Sarah Bacon
Product Manager
UPDATE: If you are experiencing this issue and would like to help us troubleshoot, please follow the instructions in this PDF file and then post your results in a blog comment. Thanks
UPDATE #2: We’ve identified a software conflict that is one cause of the installation problem. See this blog post for more information
January 15, 2009 on 10:31 am | In 9.0 version | 25 Comments
I’m the first to admit that Yahoo! Messenger has a lot of features and for some, it can feel like too many. In a previous post I outlined ways to simplify the IM conversation window. This time let’s take a look at the contact list window which you probably keep open on your desktop most of the day.
If you like things clean and simple, click on the Messenger menu at the top and select “Show/Hide”. In that menu, you’ll find the option to show or hide the top part of your contact list window that shows your name, display image and status message bar (My Information). You can also show or hide the contact action bar at the top, along with the plug-ins at the bottom. You can also hide the Yahoo! Search box at the bottom of your contact list. If you change your mind, just go back to the menu to show one or more items again.
With the release of 9.0, we also introduced a new look for the list of contacts that includes an enlarged display image for each friend and two lines for each to display their name and status updates. If you prefer a simpler look, go to the Contacts menu up top and select “Compact List”. This will reduce the size of the display images and put each friend on just one line, allowing you to see more contacts.
If you’d like to change the font or font size of your contact list, go to the Messenger menu, select “Preferences”, then click on “Appearance” on the left side. Then go down to the third section entitled “Messenger List” to adjust the font. Compact vs. detailed view of your list can also be changed in this area.
And lastly, someone left a comment here on the blog that they could no longer make the contact list window go to full screen size in 9.0. This is partially true in that clicking the “Maximize” button in the upper right corner no longer expands the window completely. However, you can click and drag on the edge or corner of the Messenger list window to make it as big as you want.
Sarah Bacon
Product Manager
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