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Using AIM for text messages..

F

Ferris23

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Sep 24, 2007
2,231
0
The other night I had no problem sending other mobile phones without AIM a text and they were able to reply. Now when I try to send those same phones a message it says they are unable to receive offline messages. Well there were never online with AIM when I sent the first, they just received them as regular text messages.

What gives?

Also if they wanted to send me a text message to my AIM, what would they use as a send to address?
 
Ferris23 said:
Nobody using AIM for texts?
Click to expand...

I have used it and it worked well for me. The one issue I have (known issue) is that there is no notification when not in AIM. So I don't use it often really. I just got a ymail account and send from there to phones.

Once AIM gets better, I'll probably make a whole buddy list for just phones. :D
 
So why does my phone state that another non aim user is not online and can't receive texts in offline mode when they aren't even aim users and I have sent them texts before.
 
Ferris23 said:
So why does my phone state that another non aim user is not online and can't receive texts in offline mode when they aren't even aim users and I have sent them texts before.
Click to expand...

I get the same thing on ichat on os x. Dont have my iphone yet, 3-5 days of waiting left!!!!! I was planning on texting like this too. I know that my contacts that I text to have AIM screen names and phone numbers both set on their contact cards, that might have something to do with it?
 
I'm not even sending the IM via a contact, I just enter the +1 then the number. Like I said I was able to send a bunch one night, now I am getting that offline error.

Odd.
 
Ferris23 said:
I'm not even sending the IM via a contact, I just enter the +1 then the number. Like I said I was able to send a bunch one night, now I am getting that offline error.

Odd.
Click to expand...

If they aren't on your buddy list just enter the 10 digit number. (on the iphone that is) If you notice it says "Enter screenname or SMS number"
 
I read about using AIM as text, but when I tried to send it to a phone number it said it doesn't allow me to do this.

Any ideas?
Thanks
 
AIM for iPhone

So, I log on and go to "IMs" on the bottom of the screen
Then I try to send a text and get this:

"Unable to send IM
Your message was blocked from
being sent to (phone number)"
 
how does a person without AIM and without data send an IM back to your phone? Wondering how I can get out of the 200 TXT plan altogether. The number of txts I receive is minimal. If I could regularly use something else, like AIM, that would be huge!
 
hondje said:
how does a person without AIM and without data send an IM back to your phone? Wondering how I can get out of the 200 TXT plan altogether. The number of txts I receive is minimal. If I could regularly use something else, like AIM, that would be huge!
Click to expand...

They can just reply with an SMS message and it'll go right to your AIM. Right now there is no notification service, but come september it'll be perfect, and be my SMS replacement probably. Email seems slow even with Yahoo!
 
I'm using AIM and GMail as a combo-alternative to text messages.

AIM:
On my iChat (and iPhone AIM) I have an entire group for my friend's cell phones. In my experience, the only time it says a text didn't go through is because the person's phone was off. Otherwise, this is an awesome way to get around text messaging fees.
photo12.jpg


GMail:
I noticed a few days before iDay 2 that my RAZR V3c could send text messages to an email address. Therefore, I went to GMail and set up an email account that was my cell number, -------@gmail.com. I told all of my friends to send text messages to me there from now on and it works beautifully. You can respond and everything and it only counts as a text for your friend. I would recommend everyone do the same!

You can block text messaging by calling 611 and talking to customer service.
 
M0bile said:
I noticed a few days before iDay 2 that my RAZR V3c could send text messages to an email address. Therefore, I went to GMail and set up an email account that was my cell number, -------@gmail.com. I told all of my friends to send text messages to me there from now on and it works beautifully. You can respond and everything and it only counts as a text for your friend. I would recommend everyone do the same!
Click to expand...

I did one better :D Ymail! or Yahoo! Mail does push to iPhones. So you get them quicker. So I set up a Ymail! account with XXXsiphone@ymail.com (where XXX is my name) so that's my SMS replacement. :D I'm having some problems with Teleflip taking forever and some slow replys from SMS phones, but I think that's to do with the service providers. Also, I should be able to get MMS but it looks like no dice at the moment.

EDIT: Teleflip has been sending me returned messages claiming "Remote mail server told me: 452 Too many recipients received this hour"
 
ViViDboarder said:
Maybe they don't get text messages...
Click to expand...

I definitely get text because I've sent and received them before.
Do I need to set up anything else?

Just to clarify, I'm trying to send text to my brother via AIM iPhone
He doesn't have an AIM account, so when I set up "Add Buddy", under screenname i put his mobile number.
That is correct, right?
 
iqwertyi said:
I definitely get text because I've sent and received them before.
Do I need to set up anything else?

Just to clarify, I'm trying to send text to my brother via AIM iPhone
He doesn't have an AIM account, so when I set up "Add Buddy", under screenname i put his mobile number.
That is correct, right?
Click to expand...

If you're ADDING a buddy you put: +1XXXXXXXXXX (Where XXXX are the 10 digit number)

If you're just sending an IM and not adding a buddy: just put the 10 digit number.

May only work in USA. Can anyone confirm?
 
My brother and I are both in Miami, FL
When I added a buddy, i did use the format +1XXXXXXXXXX for his phone number and put him under the group mobile phone.

What's strange is that after adding him, I don't get the cell phone icon on the left and the "mobile" text underneath as MObile has posted on his response.
 
Okay so let's review. Could someone please explain exactly how to use AIM as a SMS client? Because this is about the most genius thing I've ever heard.
 
g00dbye said:
Okay so let's review. Could someone please explain exactly how to use AIM as a SMS client? Because this is about the most genius thing I've ever heard.
Click to expand...

TO SEND AN SMS TEXT MESSAGE IN AIM / ADD A PHONE NUMBER INTO BUDDY LIST:
Send your text message to / insert screen name as "+1##########". THE +1 IS ESSENTIAL. Following the +1, insert the phone number you wish to text to (###)###-####. So, if your friend's phone number is (987)654-3210 you would send the IM/SMS to "+19876543210" and his screen name would be "+19876543210". Super easy.

iqwertyi said:
What's strange is that after adding him, I don't get the cell phone icon on the left and the "mobile" text underneath as MObile has posted on his response.
Click to expand...

On iChat I do not have the cell phone icon. On iPhone AIM I do.
 
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