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Google Talk

Written on August 23, 2005 by Rich Trouton and 33 people have commented

Google has decided to enter the IM and VoIP market with a new service called Google Talk. Based on the open standard Jabber protocol for instant messaging, with audio chat thrown in for good measure, Google Talk is a full-fledged IM client. Unfortunately, the current client is only available for (guess what?) Windows. There is good news and better news for Mac users though. The good news is that, if you have a GMail account, you have a Google Talk account. The better news is that, since Google Talk is based on Jabber and Google is reportedly keen on keeping the protocol open, there’s a number of clients available on the Mac side including iChat AV on 10.4.

Here’s how to set up iChat to access Google Talk:

1. Add an account in iChat’s Accounts Preferences, and select “Jabber” as the protocol.
2. Your screen name is: youremail@gmail.com.
3. Your password is your GMail password.
3. Server is ‘talk.google.com’.

iChat wants to use SSL for Jabber, so it will default to using port 5223 instead of the correct 5222. I didn’t find this much of a problem, but you will get a message warning that your login and password are being sent in an way that isn’t secure. Click Continue at that window and iChat will log you in to Google Talk.

Anybody having any problems logging in? Anyone tried out whether or not Google Talk’s audio chat works with iChat AV? Let me know in the comments.

(Hat Tip: TUAW)

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  1. #1 Kevin Ballard says:

    You can get rid of the message by unchecking the box in the account settings. However, turning off SSL and setting the port to 5222, when I try to connect I get an unexpected disconnect immediately. Am I doing something wrong, or is Google Talk just getting way too hammered at the moment?

  2. #2 Karst says:

    I can’t connect in any way… Not with the port set to 5222 nor 5223… I just don’t get it.
    iChat keeps on saying that it can’t connect to talk.google.com :-/

  3. #3 Rich Trouton says:

    Kevin,

    I had the same problem as you’re reporting, so I decided to leave SSL on and deal with the insecure login message.

  4. #4 Rich Trouton says:

    Karst,

    You may want to double-check your login and password. Google’s posted a help page for this here: http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/answer.py?answer=23944

  5. #5 Oz says:

    I think I must have a completely different iChat to everyone else…it won’t let me add an account jabber or not - the only option i get is “use my .Mac account” (which I don’t have) and “create new .Mac account” (which i can’t afford, and quite frankly don’t want…..Any ideas?

  6. #6 Rich Trouton says:

    Oz,

    Are you on 10.4? iChat on 10.3 doesn’t support Jabber.

  7. #7 Oz says:

    Ah, that would explain it - yet another reason I should ignore my bank balance and upgrade to tiger! lol.

  8. #8 Chris Holland says:

    Oz,

    k0m 2 Tiger !@ *rawr*.

    Thanks for the post Rich :D useful stuff as always! :D

  9. #9 Josh Pigford says:

    Has anybody tried to use this with Adium?

  10. #10 camo says:

    yes. works great with Adium.

  11. #11 axl says:

    /Users/axel/Desktop/screenshot.jpeg

  12. #12 mac says:

    acording to http://www.google.com/talk/otherclients.html
    it’s only possible to im, talk only works with windows

  13. #13 soethike says:

    dear mon mon

    how are you

  14. #14 JndRfq says:

    my google talk is acting weird. I never had this problem before. It keeps on trying to connect the whole day and people say that i am signing in and signing out. I have installed psi for transfporting my msn contacts to google talk and i have done it successfully. I was not getting this problem once I transported them but not after a month or so it is giving me problems. Sometimes it connects out of the blue and everything is normal. pls help ! this is irritating.

  15. #15 R. Ty says:

    Hello,

    Please help me. Every time I log on to Google Talk, I immediately get disconnected after I have signed in and gotten in. Then, Google Talk counts down and tries to reconnect again and again and again. Please help. Thanks!

  16. #16 Lance says:

    I don’t know what the problem is. I could always sign into Google talk before, but now it won’t connect at all. It just says it couldn’t connect, really doesn’t give a reason.

  17. #17 jay says:

    how do i find out which version of Mac OS am I using? my spec says tiger .. how do i add my gmail account?

    thanks,
    first time mac user

  18. #18 Anna Morris says:

    I have been trying to connect to google talk through ichat and I can’t get it to work. I am putting talk.google.com as server, port 5223 and SSL checked. I keep getting a message saying ‘cannot connect to jabber’… any advice?

  19. #19 Pranav says:

    Hi … thanks for the insight … I just setup google talk in the jabber of the ichat program.

    So my friend list with the google talk users comes up. I however do not know how I can do audio or video chat with them (I am 100% certain they’re all windows users).

    I also installed chax and tried clicking on the user names but neither the audio nor video buttons were highlighte but only the text chat button … ditto for the audio toolbar … only the connection doctor and microphone can be enabled (if I connect using my ichat account … my ichat buddies and I can do audio and video chats).

    Help is greatly appreciated. May your close ones and you have a memorable week ahead!

  20. #20 JOhn says:

    Hey it works… thanx :)

  21. #21 chosencrm says:

    I am having the same problem as Anna Morris… it keeps telling me it cannot connect to jabber… anyone know whats up?

  22. #22 Hayfa says:

    Hello,
    It’s an old subject I know, but I need it now very much. Thank god I was able to get iChat to sign in with my Gmail account. But, the only problem is that I can’t get the audio to work.
    As I can see in your subject and in other writers who tried this out, that the audio chat is working. But it doesn’t work for me.
    What can I do to enable it?

    Hope to get some respond :).

  23. #23 Anna2 says:

    I ALSO am having the same problem as Anna Morris and chosencrm. I used to be able to connect with no problems, and now I can’t connect to the server. I haven’t found a fix for this anywhere so any insight would be appreciated!

  24. #24 Loch says:

    Hello, I have a small problem. I use the ichat Jabber of the Mac OSX. Everytime I used to connect for the past 3 months i wasn’t getting any problems. Suddenly since 1 week, moment i connect on my ichat, I get disconnected hardly 2 - 3 mins after logging on. What is the problem please? How can i alter that problem? And if possible show me how to use the Video chat please? I am totally at a loss and really need to use my ichat! thank you

  25. #25 pia says:

    I have the same problems as Anna2 and others. I used to be log to GTalk with no problem, now I can’t connect to the server!!! Have tried all suggestions, still the problem persists. Any help is welcome. Thanks!

  26. #26 PrinceShoe says:

    Having the same problem! I’m using Jabber on iChat to log into my google GTalk account. It has worked for me for the past year until this weekend. The only thing that happened differently was that the new little iChat AV information thing popped up when I opened iChat. Since then my Jabber account has not worked.

  27. #27 Bart says:

    The whole connect with Google Talk with iChat through Jabber…

    Does anyone know if you are suppose to be able to do video and audio with everyone, or is it still limited to other iChat users?

    I got the whole thing set up correctly, and i can chat with everyone, but the audio/video is not available.

  28. #28 archana says:

    hi i am not able to use the audio chat with google chat . plz help me for that and yes if somebody else sends me a invite it says

    “You cannot call because archana is using chat in Gmail or another chat program other than Google Talk.”

  29. #29 Nikhil says:

    Hi,

    I tried to create a new Jabber account for gtalk. It shows status disconnected when I use port 5223 with SSL or 5222 without SSL and gives error ‘An expected SSL error occured’ when I use port 5222 with SSL.

    Can anybody pls help.

    Thanks
    Nikhil

  30. #30 Vince says:

    For those who might come accross this by Google search:

    You have to delete the password settings in your keychain access (Applications/Utilities/Keychain Access). Select the keychain for “Jabber: (your username)”. Then log into iCHat and change your password there. It may ask you to type it in again so check the add to keychain and press ok and you should be in like flynn.

  31. #31 In Like Flint says:

    its in like flint.. not flynn

  32. #32 Christina says:

    I have the same problem as Anna Morris and you other guys! I have tried EVERYTHING possible! It was all working fine and now it just keeps saying “cannot connect to jabber” PLEASE HELP:-(

  33. #33 Errol Flynn says:

    No it’s “In like Flynn” not flint. It was coined in regards to Errol Flynn.

    Research before you post, you look smarter that way.

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