Guide to Signing Up, Downloading and Contacts on AOL Instant Messenger AIM on BlackBerry
AIM for BlackBerry
AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) is a great way to stay in touch with friends, family, co-workers, clients, you name it. If you own a BlackBerry smartphone, you can take AIM on-the-go with the AIM application. If you are unsure how to start using AIM for your BlackBerry, whether you are a brand new user or long time user, a simple guide is all you may need to help get you on your way.
Sign Up For AIM
On your home computer go to the AIM homepage and click the “Settings” link at the top. Click “Get a Username” and fill out all of the required information on the form. The username and password you create will be used to sign in on your BlackBerry.
Download AIM onto Your BlackBerry
You have two options for getting AIM on your BlackBerry. The first way is to download it through your BlackBerry’s web browser. Open your BlackBerry’s web browser and go to the BlackBerry AIM download page. Click the download link and wait for it to install.
The second option is to use “BlackBerry App World.” Open “BlackBerry App World” on your phone and open the AIM information. Click the “Download” button and wait for it to install on your phone.
Log in to AIM by opening the application and entering your username and password. After logging in, your contact window appears.
Managing Contacts
View any friend’s information by scrolling to their username, pressing “Menu” and selecting “View Buddy Info.” This allows you to view any contact information they supplied to AIM and their avatar image. Also, by highlighting a buddy, you can press the “Menu” button and choose to “Delete,” “Block” or add a notification for the person. The notification lets you know when the person signs in to AIM.
Add a friend, or “Buddy” as it is called in AIM, by pressing the “Menu” button and selecting “Add Buddy.” Enter the person’s username and select a group (if applicable) that you want to add the person to.
You can link with your contacts to call or send them emails from within AIM. To link with a buddy scroll to their name, press “Menu” and select “Link to BlackBerry Contact.” Create a new contact by clicking “New Contact” and enter their contact information (name, phone number, email) and select “Save” from the menu. If the person is already in your BlackBerry’s contact list click “Select” contact and choose the name of the person.
Categorize your buddies by creating groups. Press “Menu” and select “Add Group.” Give the group a name. Add buddies to each group by highlighting their screen name and choosing to move them to the specific group from the “Menu.” Categorize people by friends, family, co-workers, etc.
Sending Messages
Initiate a conversation with a buddy by scrolling to their username in your “Buddy List” and clicking it. Type your message and press “Enter” to send it. If you want to message someone that is not in your contact list press the “Menu” button and select “Send IM to.” Type the person’s screen name, click “OK,” and then enter your message and press “Enter” to send it.
While you are typing to someone you can choose to add an emoticon (smiley) or media to the person by pressing the “Menu” key and clicking “Add Smiley” or “Insert Media.” When you choose “Insert Media” you are prompted to choose a picture from your BlackBerry’s library.
In the “Menu” while in the conversation you can also choose to email, copy, clear, switch and end the conversation.
Customizing
You can change your online status and availability from your phone by opening the “Menu” and selecting “My Info.” Choose to change your status to a preset one, add a new status to the list of statuses or create a custom message to use just once. Your status appears to all buddies. Set your status to what you are currently doing if you are not able to respond to conversations right away.
Troubleshooting
If your buddies are not showing, you may have to expand the buddy group. Sometimes you can accidentally collapse the group; this hides the list within the entire group.
Your AIM application may be set to automatically show your conversations in your “Messages” application, you can change this by opening your AIM “Options” and set “Group Sequential Messages in Conversations” to “No.”
If you have log in trouble, attempt to log in on a computer. If you cannot log in from a computer, click the “Forgot Password” link to retrieve your information. Once you are able to log in from a computer, attempt logging in on your phone again.
Ensure that your AIM sounds are not sent to “Silent” if you are not receiving notification of your messages.
References
AIM for BlackBerry User Guide, BlackBerry USA
