How to Add Someone to Skype and iChat on a Mac

Two of the communication options available to you on the Mac are iChat, the built-in chat program with the Mac OS, and Skype, a free program that lets you place calls through the Internet for free. Both programs let you import contact lists automatically upon installation, but you can also add individual contacts when the need arises. For iChat, you only need to know a contact's particular IM account name. For Skype, you need the contact's name and telephone number.

Instructions

IChat

1. Open iChat to view your Buddy list.

2. Click the "+" button below the list and select "Add Buddy" from the drop-down list.

3. Enter an "Account Name." This is your buddy's name on the chat client, such as Yahoo!, AIM or Google.

4. Select a list you want to add them to from the "Add to List" drop-down menu.

5. Enter the contact's first and last name into the appropriate entry fields.

6. Click "Add" to send a contact request to the person.

Skype

1. Open Skype.

2. Click "Add Contact" to open the Add Contact box.

3. Enter a name or email address into the search window to do an automatic search for a contact. Click "Find" to start the search.

4. Enter a "Name" in the Save a Phone Number section to manually enter information.

5. Select a "Country" from the drop-down list.

6. Enter the contact's telephone number in the "Number" field.

7. Click "Add Number" to send a contact request to the person.

References

• Mac OS X Snow Leopard; The Missing Manual; David Pogue; 2009
• Skype for Mac OS X: How can I find friends in Skype for Mac OS X?
• Skype: How do I Add Contacts?