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Sayonara to signing off

June 20, 2008 on 2:30 pm | In Features, Mobile, Voice | 63 Comments

IM is great for keeping in constant contact with your friends. But eventually, we all have to sign off and as a result, we’re no longer reachable.

But now, with a couple of features available in Yahoo! Messenger 9.0 Beta, you no longer have to sign off and drop off. You can have incoming IMs and voice calls forwarded to your mobile phone. Here’s how it works…

Above your Yahoo! Messenger 9.0 contact list you’ll notice two new buttons – an icon of a small mobile phone and a Yahoo! Voice button. Click on the mobile phone icon and select “Set Up Mobile Device”. A small window will appear where you can register your mobile phone with Yahoo! Messenger.

Once registered, you can turn on IM forwarding. After signing out of Yahoo! Messenger, you will still appear online to your friends but with an “I’m Mobile” status message. Friends can then IM you and the messages will be forwarded to your mobile phone as text messages (SMS). Reply to the SMS from your phone and your friend will receive it in Messenger. So even when you’re away from your computer, you can still receive and reply to IMs.

To enable IM forwarding whenever you sign out, select the “Always Sign in to [your mobile number]” from the mobile phone icon. If you prefer to enable it occasionally, go to the Messenger menu when you’re ready to sign out and choose “Sign in to [your mobile number]”. Find out more about IM forwarding

The same kind of forwarding can be set up for voice calls. If you’re signed out and a friend tries to call you via PC-to-PC or on your Phone In number, the call can be immediately forwarded to another phone you have (mobile or landline). A Phone Out account is required. When calls are forwarded to you, they are subject to the standard per minute rates of our Phone Out service.

To enable call forwarding, click the “Yahoo! Voice” button above your contact list and select “Set Up Call Forwarding”. Indicate which number you want your incoming calls forwarded to and you’re done. Once you set up call forwarding, it will even forward calls when you are signed into Yahoo! Messenger. So if you prefer to receive calls in Messenger when you’re signed in, just return to the button and select “Call Forwarding > Disabled”. Find out more about call forwarding

Sarah Bacon
Product Manager

63 Comments

  1. i looked for these new features described in last few posts on 9.0beta but their not there im using local canada

    Comment by Farstrider — June 20, 2008 #

  2. Might be a nice touch if my 8.x version of Yahoo messenger didn’t disconnect arbitrarily throughout the day.

    Comment by hmmmm — June 20, 2008 #

  3. finally got it to work by uninstalling it & reinstall the latest beta copy witch fixed the error i get when i exit it.

    Comment by FarStrider — June 20, 2008 #

  4. I just downloading yahoo messenger for all star users and it is really cool, not to mention my favorite color. I will give it a try

    Comment by Lavender Queen Liz1 — June 22, 2008 #

  5. wheres the uk option for regestering ur mobile?? :-s

    Comment by alex — June 22, 2008 #

  6. That’s a great feature.

    I wanted to say that I still see people coming online whom I once had in my list but have deleted them now. Could you please fix this bug? Thanks.

    Comment by Jaunty Mellifluous — June 24, 2008 #

  7. kindly provide details for deleting i m on sms facility?

    Comment by reema — June 25, 2008 #

  8. [...] 2008 — Laura Varteressian It worked for me! I was able to decipher this headline from the Yahoo! Messenger blog thanks to my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Belcher, who taught me a bit about reading [...]

    Pingback by Thank heavens for Hooked on Phonics « Terribly Write — June 25, 2008 #

  9. Duly noted Terribly Write – thanks for the heads up!

    Sarah Bacon

    Comment by Administrator — June 25, 2008 #

  10. What I don’t get this and I don’t want to screw my IM up

    Comment by Ryan23185 — June 26, 2008 #

  11. I have a MAC and would like to shut off my IM Mobile feature but I don’t know how. What’s the deal? I keep getting texts from people I don’t know, and I have to pay for those!

    Comment by sigp2301 — June 29, 2008 #

  12. Yahoo IM 8 won’t let me stay online now. Why would I try something else more frustrating?

    Comment by Ann Oyed — June 30, 2008 #

  13. Hi sigp2301,

    Try this help article:
    http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/messenger/mac/mac3/mobile/mstamfrwrd.html

    Sarah Bacon

    Comment by Administrator — June 30, 2008 #

  14. kindly provide details on how to remove ” im mobile icon” and “im on sms” status?

    Comment by annie — June 30, 2008 #

  15. My wife’s job has Windows Live Messenger, which works fine with my Yahoo IM8, but IM9 and IM Vista have issues keeping a connection with her. Where would I report this issue to?

    Comment by Alan Stephens — July 2, 2008 #

  16. I am signed up for phone in service and use it frequently to forward calls to my landline so that I do not have to be near the computer to recieve calls from phone in. Is there any way to set call forwarding as the default. If I turn off my computer the call forwarding automatically disbles. I travel frwuently between states and thereofre when I am offline calls do not get forwarded and I can only select that oprion when the computer is connected.

    Thank for any help.

    Comment by andrew richards — August 7, 2008 #

  17. Hi Andrew,
    I am Thyaga Vasudevan, the PM for the Y! Voice product. You don’t need to be logged in to receive calls from Phone In. We are doing server side call forwarding. i.e. regardless of online status or login status, call forwarding should work.

    Can you please try this again and let us know?

    Thanks,
    Thyaga

    Comment by Thyaga Vasudevan — August 8, 2008 #

  18. Hi Thyaga,

    I am experiencing the same problems as Andrew. The callforwarding is automatically disabled whenever I shut down my laptop, and the calls don’t get forwarded. When I next log into Yahoo Messenger, the callforwarding has to be automatically reset.

    Contacting the 24/7 help does not turn up any viable solutions.

    Thank you for your help

    Comment by Pearlyn — August 12, 2008 #

  19. i was able to use this feature ages ago with the old version really useful

    Comment by Calvin Nguyen — September 1, 2009 #

  20. i really love it…………….

    Comment by oscar — September 2, 2009 #

  21. I don’t think I like, the Idea, if people want to get a hold of me they can during the day, when I am awake, I don’t really like people bothering me at work, and I sleep during the day most often, because I work nights. And being woke up in the middle of the night to a phone ringing is not something people look forward too. Besides, I don’t use my mobile phone unless I have too.
    Thanks,
    Annette

    Comment by Annette White — September 2, 2009 #

  22. I don’t want my ims sent as sms. SMS costs money and AT&T isn’t cheap.
    What I really need is a messenger client for my Symbian phone (Nokia 5800 xpress music)
    I am using slick messenger at present but it would be better if there was a native yahoo messenger client which supports text messages, voice calls as well as video calls by using the front mounted camera on my phone.

    Comment by Roshan — September 3, 2009 #

  23. this is the greatest land of the world coz there is pasupati, Lumbini, Mount Everest, etc. so we are Proud of our motherland. and Nepal is listed country of yahoo so thankful of yahoo.

    Comment by ujjwal acharya — September 6, 2009 #

  24. I always try connent with a friend or send a masseger 2 them but not connented, pls try & connent me. thanks!!!

    Comment by Rebecca — September 7, 2009 #

  25. hup i need thiz yahoo.com k?

    Comment by edwardo — September 11, 2009 #

  26. I’m very greatful for your help . many thanx

    Comment by AML — September 14, 2009 #

  27. I have always had trouble with messenger. That is why I switched to another site. You made it too complicated.

    Comment by Cheri — September 25, 2009 #

  28. i want to call in mobile from internet

    Comment by suchana — October 2, 2009 #

  29. the version of yahoo i use is the 8.x(1997-2006), does this same rule apply bcos i cannot find them on it as i tried activating?

    Comment by Ebenezer — October 3, 2009 #

  30. Yahoo lovers. please let yahoo include NIGERIAN among the yahoo messenger i’m mobile. pls let yahoo do this for nigerians too. we need it.
    Thanks.

    Comment by adebowale adewale segun — October 17, 2009 #

  31. Hi,
    Yahoo Messenger does not incorporate Countries in the Middle East, for IM support on Mobile Phones.

    For e.g. Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Oman & Qatar.

    We hope this will be done ASAP

    Comment by Jude Fernandes — October 23, 2009 #

  32. hi i wan all facility

    Comment by jaleelvaliyakath — October 24, 2009 #

  33. pls. yahoo messenger let this yaoo mobile messsnger to work in nigeria.cos its very important to us that not all time we use internet cafe. mobile is the answer.

    Comment by adam — October 25, 2009 #

  34. plz yahoo messenger allow me download yahoo 0.9 so i can make calls with my pc,
    If i may ask, why is Nigeria things different? simple things other people uses yahoo for is hard here to connect here in Nigeria, pls yahoo allow me to make calls with my computer am pleading you yahoo.

    thanks

    Comment by jane — October 27, 2009 #

  35. I want to txt my friends a message through yahoo but is not going through i want yahoo to help me pls.

    Comment by Esther Boadu — November 4, 2009 #

  36. Hello,
    Plz do let the mobile chatt messaging service when i am off line from yahoo.This services is not active in Pakistan.

    Thanks.

    Rizwan Jalil

    Comment by Rizwan Jalil — November 5, 2009 #

  37. yahoo is simply great,i love yahoo

    Comment by faheem — November 6, 2009 #

  38. i highly recomend yahoo messanger please keep up

    Comment by abubakar sanusi othman — November 10, 2009 #

  39. hello,This services is not active in iran.i am sorry for own.anyway thanx.

    Comment by sanaz — November 10, 2009 #

  40. hw 2 active this services in UAE i like sign in yahoo on my mobail…..anyway…i love yahoo

    Comment by menaka — November 30, 2009 #

  41. hi how can i activate and is possible in pakistan..

    Comment by cute_shahi@yahoo.com — December 2, 2009 #

  42. @cute_shahi – Sorry, does not look like Pakistan is one of the countries where this is available. http://messenger.yahoo.com/mobile

    Sarah Bacon

    Comment by Administrator — December 2, 2009 #

  43. I Hope more practical function, Such as I want to know other side whether login the messenger function.

    Comment by Jack Lee — December 3, 2009 #

  44. i m worried about clearity of voice
    and there is no chat room for balch in yahoo massenger please make a chat room of Bloch,s

    Comment by waseem ahmed — December 4, 2009 #

  45. no name of my country nepal while i was stryin to sign in my mobile number! can u fix it up? i would really appreaciate it. thank u

    Comment by Vwayi — December 6, 2009 #

  46. no name of country nigeria so i cant enjoy the benefits…..

    : (

    Comment by stephanie — December 8, 2009 #

  47. i would like to have this service on my blackberry phone 8320

    Comment by Myron Meme — December 8, 2009 #

  48. why no name of the country denmark?

    Comment by kiel — December 11, 2009 #

  49. Umm, hi? may i ask something,.. when i clicked the “get a yahoo! messenger on your mobile phone” and i’ve searched a country. i cannot find the country bahrain because i’m in bahrain..

    Comment by loryan — December 12, 2009 #

  50. hello god day! In country list why japan is not there,i cannot find the japan coz im here in japan right now.thanks

    Comment by sankei — December 12, 2009 #

  51. Thankx Yahoo.com for being here when others fall,yahoo keeps the world revolving be on this part of the world(U.S.)connect here 2Russia2Nigeria in one click keepit rotating, you can do it fill in the empty spaces!!-comment– by

    Comment by fingerprint909 — December 12, 2009 #

  52. I am able to receive IMs from my friends in YM sent to my phone as SMS but the PROBLEM is when i Reply to them, a msg on my phone appears “Sending failed”. It wouldn’t allow me to reply on my phone. Then i get an SMS saying that in order 4 this friend to send me more IMs I have 2 reply to them first! BUT IT WON’T LET ME!

    My YM is version 10 BETA/
    PLEASE HELLLPPP!!!! ANYBODY…I’M DESPERATELY IN NEED TO HAVE A TWO WAY COMMUNICATION OF IM THRU MY PHONE.

    Comment by Peter — December 14, 2009 #

  53. hi, my name is chila. i love yahoo messenger a lot. i tried to log in my country but its not there. am a Nigerian. could u please do something for us by including Nigeria. i would like to have IM services on my Nokia 5610 Express Music. thanks

    Comment by chila — December 16, 2009 #

  54. hi there,i am number one fun of your site keep it going i love yahoo very much,very convenience to talk or to chat to everyone or especially to my family,relatives,friends.we are yahoo users no problem for mebut one question if iwill connect my ym to my mobile phone is there any charges to my mobile phone? if there is no thankz i dont want it hehehe……keep it up yahoo………thank you and more power to you there……respectfully nanette

    Comment by nanette — December 17, 2009 #

  55. helo pls in addition to janes comment am a nigerian hw can i go about this pc to pc calling pls i need your respond on this issue thanks and wishing you happy xmas and happy year 2010 in advance

    Comment by boyen — December 18, 2009 #

  56. my yahoo messenger send free sms is not activating. could u plz do the favour for me by activating send free sms.

    Comment by ramya — January 5, 2010 #

  57. @ramya – SMS is not available in the India version of Yahoo! Messenger which I think you may be using. If you want to send SMS messages, you need to download and install the US version:

    http://messenger.yahoo.com/download/win

    Sarah Bacon

    Comment by Administrator — January 5, 2010 #

  58. hi.why in your list i cant find the name of my country?is it really impossible for people here to use it?would you please help me with that?i live in iran & really like to use this mobile messenger.thanx

    Comment by sara — January 5, 2010 #

  59. I want to Go in SMS Service ..but i want unlimited sms for yahoo users. how i do????
    UNLIMITED SMS …………….
    Im from pakistan I m using mobilink SMS through yahoo.
    plzz rep me? if any 1 knows.

    Comment by AHMED — January 5, 2010 #

  60. @Ahmed – Sorry but we don’t support sending SMS messages to users in Pakistan (on Pakistani carriers). We only support sending messages to users on the networks listed on this page:

    http://messenger.yahoo.com/features/sms/

    Sarah Bacon

    Comment by Administrator — January 5, 2010 #

  61. Hi,
    Yahoo Messenger does not incorporate Countries in the Middle East, for IM support on Mobile Phones.

    For e.g. Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Oman & Qatar.

    We hope this will be done ASAP

    pls allow all facility, princejohn.dubai

    Comment by princejohn — January 10, 2010 #

  62. The key problem I have with the service is that it tells people that you are on via mobile. This could be a security issue (people know when u are and r not @ home). Why can’t the service be setup so no notification on your connection method are shown or why not make this a configurable option?

    Comment by EXS — January 13, 2010 #

  63. where can i register in pakistan

    Comment by adeel jasim — January 13, 2010 #

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