Download Getting Started Buddy Lists Messages Profiles Personal Preferences		How the Buddy List™ Feature Works When you sign on to the AOL Instant Messenger™ service, your Buddy List window appears. There are two tabs in your Buddy List window: Online and List Setup. The Online tab shows you which of your buddies are online and the List Setup tab allows you to create and manage your list of buddies. Initially, three empty groups appear on these tabs: Buddies, Family, and Co-Workers. Add your buddies to any of these groups or create additional groups. You must know your friends' screen names (from either America Online or the AOL Instant Messenger™service) to add them to your Buddy List window. In the List Setup tab: Each group appears as a folder. The buddies within each group appear as branches off the folder. The folder must be open to see the buddies in that group. You cannot see which of your buddies is online when displaying the List Setup tab. Click the Online tab to see which buddies are online. In the Online tab: Names that appear in bold indicate which buddies signed on most recently. Names that appear gray and in italic indicate which buddies just signed off. The numbers in parentheses next to each group indicate how many people in that group are online out of the total number of buddies in that group. For example, (3/9) means that three of the nine buddies in that group are currently online. You can open and close groups within your Buddy List window. Click the "-" symbol next to a group to hide the screen names in that group. The "-" symbol changes to the "+" symbol indicating the group is closed. Click the "+" symbol to display the screen names. Hold the cursor over a buddy momentarily to display additional information about that person, such as warning rating, log in time, and idle time. Tip * To toggle between the Online and List Setup tabs, press CTRL+TAB. To Add a Buddy to Your Buddy List Window 1. Click the List Setup tab in the Buddy List window. 2. Click on the folder to which you want to add your buddy. 3. Click Add Buddy. A branch appears with the default name New Buddy. 4. Type the screen name of the buddy you want to add and press Enter. Remember to enter just the buddy's screen name, not your buddy's full E-mail address. For example, johndoe, rather than johndoe@aol.com. Notes *You must know your friends' screen names (from either America Online or the AOL Instant Messenger™ service) to add them to your Buddy List window. *You can check to see whether friends have screen names, if you know their e-mail addresses. Click the Menu button then point to Find a Buddy and click By E-mail Address. Then follow the instructions. *You can invite friends who have not yet signed up to join the AOL Instant Messenger™ service. Click the Menu button (located in the lower-left corner of the Buddy List window) button, then point to Sign On a Friend. Then follow the instructions. To Add a Group to Your Buddy List Window 1. Click the List Setup tab in the Buddy List window. 2. Click Add Group. A folder appears with the default name New Group. 3. Type a new name for the list and press Enter. To Rearrange Your Buddies 1. In the Buddy List window, select the buddy or group you want to move. 2. Drag and drop the entry in a different location within your Buddy List window. To Rename a Buddy or Group 1. Click the List Setup tab in the Buddy List window. 2. Select the buddy or group you want to rename. 3. Click the right mouse button and choose Rename from the popup menu that appears. The name of the buddy or group appears highlighted. 4. Enter the new name for the buddy or group and press Enter.