Chatting With Your Contacts

If your contact becomes unavailable while you’re chatting, you can switch the conversation to an email message. All of the text from the chat appears in the body of the message tab.

Tips: Want to save a chat exchange for future reference? Just convert the chat to an email when the conversation ends and send the email message to yourself. Otherwise, once you close the tab, the chat is gone for good.

You can also switch between chatting and sending a text message. See the Text Messaging With Your Contacts tutorial for more details.

Here’s How

To switch from email to chat:

If a contact becomes available to chat while you are composing an email message to that contact, a notice appears at the bottom of the email message tab.

1. If you see the notice at the bottom of the message tab, and you want this email to become part of your chat, click the Chat Now link in the notice or the convert to chat button () at the top of the message tab.

   

   The message tab changes to chat mode, with the text of your email message in the message input box.

   

2. Start your chat by pressing Enter or clicking the Send button.

To switch your chat to an email:

If you’re in the middle of a chat and the person becomes unavailable, the conversation area displays an offline notice and gives you the option of converting the chat to an email.

1. If you see the offline notice in the conversation area, and you want to convert this conversation to an email, click the send an email link in the notice or the convert to email button () at the top of the conversation tab.

   

   The chat converts to an email message addressed to your contact. The text of your conversation so far appears as the text of the email message.

   

2. Complete your email (you can edit the subject and text that’s already there), then click the Send button.

Back:
Receiving a Chat Message

Take Me to AT&T Mail

Next:
Turning Chat Off

What’s Next

AT&T Mail not only offers the satisfaction of instant communication through its chat feature, but makes it a pleasure to type messages. You know you never have to lose your text. Just convert it to a chat or an email. Either way, your contact is sure to "get the message".