Advanced Chat Features

Personalizing Chat Customizing Chat Blocking Chat Messages Unblocking Chat Messages Chatting with Windows Live Users If You Use Yahoo! Messenger

Customizing Your Chat Message

You can change the text display in the conversation area from speech bubbles to standard text, show or hide avatars (both yours and your contact’s), and show or hide timestamps.

 

Here’s How

  1. To switch between standard text and speech bubbles, click the View menu, then select either Speech Bubbles or Standard Text.

    Speech bubbles

    Standard text

  2. To show or hide avatars (including your contact’s avatar), click the View menu, then select Show Avatars or Hide Avatars.

    When you hide avatars, a silhouette appears in place of the actual avatar.

    Without avatars

    Tips:

    Is your avatar a gray silhouette even though you’ve selected Show Avatars? You probably haven’t created an avatar. Just click the "happy" face next to the input box in the conversation tab.

    Click the happy face next to the input box.

    This takes you to the avatar page where you can follow the online instructions to create your own personalized avatar. It’s easy and fun.

    Your Windows Live™ Messenger friends won’t be able to see your avatar. (For more information about Windows Live™ Messenger contacts, see Chatting with Windows Live Users.)

    At this time, it’s not possible to use a display image (such as a photo) instead of an avatar when you chat in AT&T Mail.

  3. To remove or add a timestamp, click the View menu, then select Show Timestamps or Hide Timestamps.

    Standard text

    Without timestamps

 

What’s Next

If you don’t want to chat with someone, you can simply close the conversation tab. If you want to permanently ignore the person, you can block their messages.

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Words to Know

  • Avatar: a character that you can personalize to express your mood at any given time. It’s like a virtual you. By changing hairstyles, clothes, accessories, and backgrounds, you can create your own unique persona.
  • Contact: a person with whom you interact; someone to whom you might want to send an email, instant message, or text message.
  • Display image: a picture or avatar that represents you in some way and that you share with your contacts during IM conversations.
  • Windows Live™ Messenger: Microsoft® Windows’ free instant messaging application.