View source for IChat

{{Short description|Messaging application for Mac OS X}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{lowercase title|title=iChat}}
{{Infobox software
| title = iChat
| name = iChat AV<!--This is a technical moniker only; it isn't shown-->
| logo = IChat AV icon.png
| screenshot = 
| caption = 
| developer = [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] <br> [[AOL]] (partial)
| released = {{start date and age|2002|08|24|df=yes}}
| discontinued = 2012
| replaced_by = [[Messages (Apple)|Messages]]<br>[[FaceTime]]
| operating system = [[macOS]]
| genre = [[Instant messaging]]
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]]
| website = hide
}}
'''iChat''' (previously '''iChat AV''') is a discontinued [[instant messaging]] [[software application]] developed by [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] for use on its [[macOS|Mac OS X]] [[operating system]]. It supported instant text messaging over [[Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol|XMPP]]/[[Jingle (protocol)|Jingle]] or [[OSCAR protocol|OSCAR]] ([[AOL Instant Messenger|AIM]]) protocol, audio and video calling, and screen-sharing capabilities. It also allowed for local network discussion with users discovered through [[Bonjour (protocol)|Bonjour]] protocols.

In [[OS X Mountain Lion|OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion]], iChat was replaced by [[Messages (Apple)|Messages]] for chat and [[FaceTime]] for video calling.

== History ==
iChat was first released in August 2002 as part of [[Mac OS X 10.2]]. It featured integration with the Address Book and Mail applications and was the first officially supported AIM client that was native to Mac OS X (the first-party AIM application at the time was still running in Classic emulation).<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Apple Previews iChat Instant Messaging for Mac OS X |url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2002/05/06Apple-Previews-iChat-Instant-Messaging-for-Mac-OS-X/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Apple Newsroom |language=en-US}}</ref>

One episode of the first season of the [[HBO]] dramedy series ''[[Entourage (U.S. TV series)|Entourage]]'' had Eric Murphy having an iChat conversation with [[Ari Gold (Entourage)|Ari Gold]], marking the first time that this application was used on a television series.

== Interface ==
iChat incorporated Apple's [[Aqua (user interface)|Aqua]] interface and used [[speech bubble]]s and pictures to personify the online chatting experience. With iChat, green (available), yellow (idle), and red (away) icons could be displayed next to the name of each connected user on the buddy list. For color-blind users, this could be altered to show different shapes, circle (available), triangle (idle), and squares (away), to illustrate status with shape rather than color.

=== iChat AV ===
In June 2003, Apple announced iChat AV, the second major version of iChat. It added [[Videoconferencing|video]] and [[Voice over IP|audio]] conferencing capabilities based on the industry-standard [[Session Initiation Protocol]] (SIP). The final version of the software was shipped with [[Mac OS X Panther|Mac OS X 10.3]] and became available separately on the same day for [[Mac OS X 10.2]].<ref>{{cite web
    | last = Johns
    | first = Ralph
    | title = iChat Information Pages Version 2
    | url = http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/versions/ichat2/ichat2.html
    | work = Ralph Johns
    | access-date = July 29, 2010
    | date = October 2008}}</ref>

=== iChat AV 2 ===
In February 2004, [[AOL]] introduced [[AOL Instant Messenger]] (AIM) version 5.5 for Windows users, which enabled video, but not audio,  chats over the AIM protocol and was compatible with Apple's iChat AV. On the same day, Apple released a public beta of iChat AV 2.1 to allow Mac OS X users to video conference with AIM 5.5 users.

=== iChat AV 3 ===
In June 2004, [[Steve Jobs]] announced that the next version of iChat AV would be included with [[Mac OS X Tiger|Mac OS X 10.4]].  iChat AV 3 provided additional support to allow up to four people in a single video conference and ten people in an audio conference. Additionally, the new version of iChat used the [[H.264/MPEG-4 AVC|H.264/AVC]] codec, which offered superior quality video compared to the older [[H.263]] codec used in previous versions. This release supported the XMPP protocol, which could be directly used to connect to [[Google Talk]] and indirectly be used to connect to users of services including [[Facebook features#Chat|Facebook Chat]], and [[Yahoo! Messenger]].<ref>{{cite web
    | last = Johns
    | first = Ralph
    | title = iChat Information Pages Version 3
    | url = http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/versions/ichat3/ichat3.html
    | work = Ralph Johns
    | access-date = July 30, 2010
    | date = November 2008}}</ref> However, support was limited as it did not support several common XMPP features such as account creation, [[service discovery]] and full multi-user chat support. iChat 3 included the [[Bonjour (software)|Bonjour]] protocol (previously called Rendezvous<ref>{{cite mailing list|url=https://lists.apple.com/archives/rendezvous-dev/2005/Apr/msg00001.html|title=Rendezvous is changing to...|author=Marc Krochmal|date=April 12, 2005|mailing-list=rendezvous-dev|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728203754/http://lists.apple.com/archives/rendezvous-dev/2005/Apr/msg00001.html|archive-date=July 28, 2014}}</ref>) which allowed iChat to automatically find other users with iChat Bonjour messaging enabled on the local network.<ref>{{cite web
 |title       = iChat
 |url         = http://guides.macrumors.com/iChat
 |work        = [[MacRumors]]
 |access-date  = July 30, 2010
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20100302205637/http://guides.macrumors.com/iChat
 |archive-date = March 2, 2010
 |df          = mdy-all
}}</ref>

In October 2005, iChat received support for encrypted communications, but only for paid subscribers of [[.Mac]] (later [[MobileMe]] and currently [[iCloud]]) service. These features were part of iChat 3.1, released as part of the Mac OS X v10.4.3 update. This version also added support for XMPP multi-user chat.

In March 2007, Apple released the Mac OS X v10.4.9 update, which allowed [[USB video device class]] (UVC) cameras to be used with iChat, rather than FireWire cameras only. This allowed a wider range of cameras to be used with iChat AV.

=== iChat 4 ===
iChat 4, the first version release under iChat's current name,  was introduced as a part of [[Mac OS X Leopard|Mac OS X 10.5]] and received new features including: iChat Theater (inspired by ChatFX<ref>{{cite web
    | title = ChatFX developer on iChat Theater
    | url = http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/08/07/chatfx.ichat.theater/
    | access-date = August 6, 2006
    | date = August 6, 2006
    | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070811130714/http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/08/07/chatfx.ichat.theater/
    | archive-date = August 11, 2007
    | url-status = dead}}</ref>  a product from Plum Amazing), Backdrops, and Screen Sharing. iChat Theater allowed users to share any file supported by [[Quick Look]], including photos, Keynote presentations, and movies, over a video chat session.<ref>{{cite web
    | last = Johns
    | first = Ralph
    | title = iChat Information Pages Version 4: A Brief review and What's changed
    | url = http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/versions/ichatvers4/ichatvers4.html
    | work = Ralph Johns
    | access-date = July 30, 2010
    | date = November 2008}}</ref> Backdrops allowed users to insert movies or photos as a backdrop in video chats. Screen Sharing allowed two users of Mac OS X Leopard to have control of the same desktop and work collaboratively. Minor features in the new release included multiple logins, animated icons, use of [[Photo Booth]] effects in live video chat, and tabbed chats.

=== iChat 5 ===
iChat 5.0, released with [[Mac OS X Snow Leopard]], converted iChat to a [[64-bit]] application,<ref name="ars-macosx">{{cite web |title=Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: the Ars Technica review |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2009/08/mac-os-x-10-6.ars/5 |page=5 |author=John Siracusa |website=Ars Technica |date=September 2009 |access-date=2025-05-11 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091009161632/http://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2009/08/mac-os-x-10-6.ars/5 |archive-date= 9 October 2009 |url-status= live}}</ref> reduced the bandwidth required for 640×480 video chats, and upgraded iChat Theater to the same resolution.<ref>{{cite web
 |title       = Refined from installation to shutdown - More reliable, higher-resolution iChat
 |url         = https://www.apple.com/macosx/refinements/
 |work        = [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]
 |access-date  = July 29, 2010
 |date        = June 8, 2009
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20100722202124/http://www.apple.com/macosx/refinements/
 |archive-date = July 22, 2010
 |df          = mdy-all
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
    | last = Johns
    | first = Ralph
    | title = About iChat: iChat 5
    | url = http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/versions/ichat5/ichat5.html
    | work = Ralph Johns
    | access-date = July 29, 2010
    | date = June 3, 2010}}</ref>

=== iChat 6 ===
iChat 6.0, released with [[Mac OS X Lion|Mac OS X 10.7]], added support for Yahoo Messenger account and allowed iChat users to have text, voice and video chats using their Yahoo Mail accounts. It also supported third-party plugins, eventually allowing other protocols to be compatible with the software.<ref>{{cite web|author=AppleInsider Staff |url=http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/04/06/inside_mac_os_x_10_7_lion_ichat_6_adds_yahoo_im_account_integration_web_page_sharing/ |title=Inside Mac OS X 10.7 Lion: iChat 6 adds Yahoo IM, account integration, web page sharing |publisher=[[AppleInsider]] |date=April 6, 2011|access-date=February 12, 2012}}</ref> iChat 6 was the last iChat version; in [[OS X Mountain Lion]], it was replaced by Messages. The final release, iChat 6.0.1, was published on February 1, 2012.

=== Messages ===
{{Main|Messages (Apple)}} 
As part of the OS X Mountain Lion preview, Apple announced on February 16, 2012, that its [[macOS|OS X]] messaging client would be '''Messages''',<ref>[https://www.theverge.com/2012/2/16/2801047/mac-os-x-10-8-mountain-lion-preview-photos-video OS X Mountain Lion Preview] — [[The Verge]]</ref> and that it would support the [[iMessage]] protocol, making it compatible with the iOS client. Messages also incorporates [[FaceTime]] support. Apple made Messages immediately available as a downloadable beta version for use on Mac OS X 10.7.

== Supported protocols ==
iChat's AIM support was fully endorsed by [[AOL]], and used their official implementation of the AIM [[OSCAR protocol]]. Using a XMPP transport,<ref>{{cite web
 |last        = Rivera
 |first       = Melvin
 |title       = iChat to MSN Through Jabber
 |url         = http://allforces.com/2005/05/06/ichat-to-msn-through-jabber/
 |work        = All Forces
 |access-date  = July 29, 2010
 |date        = October 17, 2009
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20100805092016/http://allforces.com/2005/05/06/ichat-to-msn-through-jabber/
 |archive-date = August 5, 2010
 |df          = mdy-all
}}</ref> iChat could serve as a [[client (computing)|client]] for [[AOL Instant Messenger]], [[Yahoo Messenger]], [[MobileMe]], [[ICQ]] and [[XMPP]]. iChat could also integrate [[Google Talk]] contacts into the XMPP pane.

== See also ==
*[[Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients]]
*[[Comparison of instant messaging protocols]]
*[[FaceTime]]
*[[Messages (Apple)|Messages]]
*[[Videotelephony]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110529092452/https://apple.com/macosx/what-is-macosx/ichat.html Official website] (archived)<!--======================== {{No more links}} ============================
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{{macOS}}
{{Instant messaging}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ichat}}
[[Category:Apple Inc. software]]
[[Category:MacOS instant messaging clients]]
[[Category:Videotelephony]]
[[Category:AIM (software) clients]]
[[Category:XMPP clients]]
[[Category:MacOS]]
[[Category:MacOS-only software made by Apple Inc.]]
[[Category:2002 software]]
[[Category:Defunct instant messaging clients]]