Add a Photo to Your AIM Profile

with Don Schechter

Transcript: Add a Photo to Your AIM Profile

Hi, I'm Don Schechter for About.com Computing. Today, I will show you how to add a photo or buddy icon to your AIM page.

Adding a photo or buddy icon on AIM allows you to share images with everyone on the AIM network.

Sign On to AIM

First sign onto your AIM account. If you don't have an AIM account, go to aim.com to download the free instant messaging system.

Edit Your AIM Profile

Once you are signed in, go to 'Edit My AIM Page' at the top of your buddy list window.

In the Web browser window that opens up, you can customize your personal data, photo, AIM profile, basic info, favorite sites, and more.

Select a Photo to Add to Your AIM Profile

To add a photo, click on 'My Photo' from the list on the left side of the screen. Here, you will see your current photo, if you have one.

To add a new photo or to change your current photo, click on the 'Browse' button. From here, you can choose a photo to add to your page.

Once you have found a photo that you want, select it, and then press 'Open.'

Preview the Photo

To see what your photo will look like, click on the 'Preview' button. A preview of your image will appear in the Web page for you to see. If you decide to use another photo, go back to 'Browse' to pick another photo.

Name the Photo

If you are satisfied, you can choose to type a photo title in the space provided. I will type 'winter leaves.' When you are finished, click on 'Save Page.'

Now, your photo, or minipic, will appear on your AIM page, your friends Buddy Galleries, and elsewhere on the

AIM pages site. AIM will claim to remove any copyrighted images or inappropriate material.

Change a Buddy Icon

To add a buddy icon, go to 'Edit Expressions' on the top of your buddy list window.

In the Web browser window, you can edit your buddy icon, wallpaper, sound, and smileys. In the Buddy Icon section, you can Reset or Change your icon.

I will click on 'Change' since I do not have a buddy icon yet. If you have a buddy icon already, click on 'Reset' to clear it. Then click on 'Change.'

Select the Buddy Icon

In this window, you can select your icon from the list of categories such as animals, movie titles, people, or travel. I will choose Animals.

When you click on the category you want, you can select an image from the subcategory list. I will click on 'Cats.' Now you can choose from a variety of images. Click on the image you want.

Preview Your Buddy Icon

To preview the image, click the 'Preview' button, and you can see what your buddy icon will look like. Click 'OK' when you are done previewing. When you are satisfied, click 'Apply.'

Now when you chat with someone on AIM, they will be able to see your buddy icon in the chat window.

Thanks for watching. For more information, please visit us online at computing.about.com

Video Channels

• Autos
• Business & Finance
• Cities & Towns
• Computing & Tech.
• Electronics & Gadgets

• Entertainment
• Food & Drink
• Health
• Home & Garden

• Parenting
• Sports
• Style
• Travel