Facebook has freed Facebook Chat from the constraints of your browser window, adding support for the Jabber/XMPP protocol. That means you can now add your Facebook contact list to almost any chat client or web chat service.

Using Jabber/XMPP, the same protocol used by Gmail’s built-in IM feature Google Talk, allows you to add Facebook Chat to IM programmes like AIM, Pigin, Adium and iChat as well as a host of other Windows and Mac OS X apps.

To set up Facebook Chat in your pick of IM programme, hop over to Facebook’s site tour which features super-simple set-up instructions. We added Facebook Chat to iChat and it took less than a minute.

Bringing Facebook Chat to all IM clients is another move in Zuckerberg & Co’s plan to spread Facebook’s influence. Next up: the Facebook email system we’ve been promised?

Out now | £free | Facebook

Be Sociable, Share!
  • ThiemoB

    I used Facebook Chat on my Miranda IM as long as I remember! If you missed it, you might have had the wrong messenger ;)

  • steelneil

    I’ve had my facebook contacts integrated into ebuddy for ages now and I also know it is possible to do it in Nimbuzz. You can also include all your other IM clients to (MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, MySpace, GTalk etc)

  • Juan

    I can’t find the web site that describes the procedure to setup Facebook with iChat! could you paste the link? Thanks!

  • Mart

    I’m with Juan…

    Where is this link? it doesn’t even come up in a google search? Cheers

  • Mart

    My apologies…. Sorry I jumped the gun!

    here’s the link: http://www.facebook.com/sitetour/chat.php

  • neil
  1. Pursuit of perfection: The Japanese swordsmith
  2. The lamp helping bookworms in relationships
  3. Crafting smart paint that detects cracks

Hot chat, right here!


Our most commented stories right now...