Customizing Messenger Access

Viewing Settings Controlling Access Editing the Friends List Setting Other Options

Viewing Messenger Access Settings

Yahoo! Messenger allows your children to participate in text-based conversations with friends on the Internet using instant messages. With Parental Controls, you can limit what your child can do on Yahoo! Messenger. Parental Controls let you turn off specific Yahoo! Messenger feature or limit with whom your child is allowed to chat.

Note: For important information about using Parental Controls with Microsoft Windows Vista™, see AT&T Help.

Your child’s Yahoo! Messenger access settings are stored with other Yahoo! account information on a central server. Yahoo! Messenger settings are enforced on any computer from which your child tries to use Messenger because the child must log in with his Member ID to use his Yahoo! Messenger account. The computer doesn’t need to have Parental Controls software installed.

Each age-based Parental Controls access level has default Messenger access settings. You can easily view and customize these default settings for all access levels except Full Access.

Tip: Before you try to view or change Messenger access settings, be sure that you’re signed in as the primary member for your family’s AT&T account. Only the primary member can access Parental Controls settings.

The person whose Messenger access settings you want to customize must have an access level other than Full Access.

 

Here’s How

  1. Go to the Parental Controls settings page for the family member whose Messenger access settings you want to view.

  2. Click the Edit Settings button next to the Messenger gauge.

    Click the Edit Settings button next to the Messenger gauge.Enlarge

    The page that appears displays details about the current Messenger access settings for the selected family member.

    The Messenger Settings page shows details about the current Messenger access settings.Enlarge

 

What’s Next

From this page you can customize the Messenger settings in various ways, such as restricting instant messaging to the friends list, or you can return to the main settings page without making any changes.

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Words to Know

  • Access level: a predefined set of access settings appropriate for a specific age range of users.
  • Member ID: the name by which a person is known to the Yahoo! network.
  • Primary member: the person (an adult) who has financial responsibility for a household’s AT&T Internet Access account; same as "primary account".
  • Yahoo! Messenger: an application that lets you communicate using your voice, text, or other means with one or more people over the Internet in real time (instantly).