Yahoo! Messenger Tutorials

Working With the Messenger List

What Is... Understanding the Messenger List Interface Controlling What the List Displays Changing the List’s Font Using Contact Cards

Understanding the Messenger List Interface

Your Messenger List uses a combination of symbols and text to provide information about the status of your contacts.

Online Presence Icons

An online presence icon to the left of a contact’s name indicates the person’s online and offline status.

Online available icon Online.
Display image icon Online showing a display image.
Offline icon Offline. Only the smiley icon, never a display image, displays for offline contacts. Offline contacts display if you’ve chosen to show offline contacts on your Messenger List.
Pending symbol Pending. You’ve asked permission to add this contact to your Messenger List and are waiting for the contact’s approval. Pending contacts display if you’ve chosen to show pending contacts on your Messenger List.
 

Symbols

A symbol to the left of the online icon lets you know if the person is available or busy.

Online busy icon Busy—online but unavailable.
Online idle icon Idle—online and has not used the computer in a while.
Open Talk icon Open Talk—online and available for an Open Talk call.
Online with mobile phone icon Mobile—online with a mobile phone.
 

Appearance of Contact’s Name

The appearance of a contact’s name also indicates the person’s online and offline status, and your status to them.

Chris Mayberry Bold—Online.
Chris Mayberry Normal—Offline or pending. Offline and pending contacts display if you’ve chosen to show offline contacts on your Messenger List.
Chris Mayberry
Chris Mayberry		 Italics—This contacts sees you as offline (through a stealth or invisible setting) even though you’re online.
 

Text and Symbols

Text and/or a symbol to the right of a contact’s name indicates the person’s online availability and is also a way for the contact to say a little bit about his or herself, such as favorite music or web page.

Text Your contact has selected a status from Messenger’s status list or has written a status. For example, the contact can select "Busy" from a preset status list or write "I’m working from home."
URL symbol With text Your contact has written a status that includes a URL. For example: A status message with a URL
Open Talk symbol With text Your contact has Open Talk on and is inviting you to call.
Yahoo! Music symbol With artist’s name Your contact is listening to Yahoo! Music. This displays if your contact allows it through his preferences.

Tip: Your Windows Live™ Messenger contacts can’t see this status.

All together, these icons, symbols, and text give you a pretty good feel for your contact.

Sammy Rose is listening to his favorite tune.

 

What’s Next

You can change your status so that others see your availability on their Messenger Lists.

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Words to Know

  • Contact: a person with whom you interact; someone to whom you might want to send an email or instant message.
  • Display image: a picture or Avatar that represents you in some way and that you share with your contacts during IM conversations.
  • Messenger List: a list of coworkers, friends, family, and associates who also use Messenger.
  • Open Talk: a Messenger feature that lets your friends connect a PC-to-PC call to your PC without waiting for you to accept the call.
  • Stealth setting: a setting that allows you to choose when specific contacts see you as online or offline.
  • Windows Live™ Messenger: Microsoft® Windows’ free instant messaging application.