Facebook Chat for N900's inbuilt Conversations app.
On Sunday, we wrote about how to get additional Instant Messaging accounts to the N900′s built in messenger client.
This was through the “Pidgin Protocols Plugin..”. The N900 only just now notified me of an update whereby now FaceBook chat is included. Facebook via conversations app was available a few days earlier but with extras-devel – so probably why I’m only getting notification now as I’ve only got extras-testing catalogue. See here for instructions on how to add that catalogue
Facebook Chat for N900? Fantastic – that’s the one I really wanted for the N900 and why I missed Nimbuzz from S60 so much (though you did have the option to use the facebook chat on the N900′s browser).
As with the other IM accounts, to see your contacts, go to the phone book. Change the contact view to “availability” to see only those on Chat. Even better, you can even further into account groups. Great if you have multiple ones set up. This way, you can specifically filter, say, just the facebook contacts.
So that’s google talk, Ovi Chat, Skype, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, AIM, GaduGadu, Groupwise, QQ and Sametime, all integrated into one same messaging app as your texts. Wonderful convenience.
The thing I hate about this IM’s protocol is that they merge with the Contact List on the phone which creates confusion. There should be a separate tab for the IM’s list particularly.
Hi Umair!
There is a separate contact list.
As it says, you can filter out Facebook contacts, Yahoo contacts, MSN contacts so only those appear.
But if you mean a quicker tab list to switch even quicker between accounts, then yes, that would be nice.
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Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s no way to show contacts that are associated with NO service… so it’s difficult to filter out FB friends and see actual contacts.
I see what you mean: Filtering out contacts from other services only showing original Phone contacts?
There’s a long way to do it. Go to accounts>Facebook>Disable. That hides all facebook contacts.
There should be a quicker shortcut way like with groups>Sim contacts or Groups>Facebook, there should be Groups>Phone contacts. I’ve made a note of it as number 47: http://wp.me/p73J2-15U
That’s a pretty big list now!
It’s a strange omission given that IM contacts seem to be treaated as second class contacts anyway. They don’t upload to my MfE server, nor are they recognised by Hermes as contacts that can have pictures and details added. This is true of the facebook plugin described here and the new Jabber service they are offering.
My workaround to get pictures was to allow Hermes to create “birthday only” contacts and then merge them with the FB/Jabber contacts. So, I’m still swamped with contacts but at least they all have pictures, birthdays and websites and upload to the MfE server.