How to set up, configure, and use Windows Live Messenger on your Xbox 360 console

This article contains information that will help you set up, configure, and use Windows Live Messenger on your Xbox 360 console.

Account set up

To use your Windows Live Messenger account on your Xbox 360 console, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to Xbox LIVE.
2. Press the Xbox Guide button, and then select Chat & IM.
3. On the Chat tab, select Sign Up.
   
   Note The Chat tab is indicated by the Windows Live Messenger icon.
4. When you are prompted, enter your Windows Live ID and your Windows Live ID password.
5. When you are prompted, select whether you want to save your password on your Xbox 360 Console.
6. Select Finish to complete the sign-up process.

Sign in to or out of Windows Live Messenger on your Xbox 360 Console

Sign in

To sign in to your Windows Live Messenger account on your Xbox 360 console, follow these steps after you complete the account set up process:

1. Sign in to Xbox LIVE.
2. Press the Xbox Guide button, and then select Chat & IM.
3. On the Chat tab, select Sign Up.
   
   Notes
   • The Chat tab is indicated by the Windows Live Messenger icon.
   • If you chose to save your password, the account will be signed in without your having to reenter your password. If you chose not to save your password, you must enter the password every time that you sign in.

Sign out

To sign out of your Windows Live Messenger account on your Xbox 360 console, select X (Sign Out of Messenger) on the Chat & IM tab.

Create a chat session by using Windows Live Messenger on your Xbox 360 Console

To start a text chat session, follow these steps after you complete the account set up process:

1. Sign in to Xbox LIVE.
2. Press the Xbox Guide button, and then select Chat & IM.
3. On the Chat tab, select Sign Up if you are not already signed in.
   
   Note The Chat tab is indicated by the Windows Live Messenger icon.
4. Select New Conversation.
5. Select the contact with whom you want to chat, and then press A to begin the text chat session.

Settings

Automatic sign in

To enable or disable automatic sign in for Windows Live Messenger, follow these steps:

1. Press the Xbox Guide button.
2. In the Settings section, select Profile.
3. Select Auto Sign-In.
4. Do one of the following:
   • To enable automatic sign in, select Enable automatic Sign-In for Windows Live Messenger.
   • To disable automatic sign in, select Disable automatic Sign-In for Windows Live Messenger.
   Note You can sign in to Windows Live Messenger only after you sign in to Xbox LIVE. If you want to automatically sign in to Windows Live Messenger, select the "Enable" option for the Xbox LIVE automatic sign in.

Online status

Windows Live Messenger on Xbox 360 supports the following online status settings:

• Online
• Away
• Busy
• Appear offline

The status setting can be set separately from your Xbox LIVE online status. For example, you can choose to "Appear online" to all your Xbox LIVE friends, and also choose to "Appear offline" to your Windows LIVE Messenger contacts.

To change your online status settings, follow these steps:

1. Press the Xbox Guide button.
2. In the Settings section, select Preferences.
3. Select Online Status, and then press the A button.
   
   Notes
   • In the dialog box that is displayed, you can set your online status for Xbox LIVE and for Windows Live Messenger.
   • Your Windows Live Messenger online status is saved even after you restart the Xbox 360 console. However, your Xbox LIVE online status will always reset to Online when you sign in again.

Privacy settings

The voice and text privacy settings let you determine who can communicate with you by using voice and text in Xbox LIVE.

Voice and text communication in Xbox LIVE includes chat, messages, and game invitations.To configure Privacy Settings for voice and text on your gamer profile, follow these steps:

1. Press the Xbox Guide button.
2. In the Settings area, select Profile.
3. Select Edit Gamer Profile, and then press the A button.
4. Select Privacy Settings, and then press the A button.
5. Select Voice and Text, and then press the A button. You can select one of the following three options:
   • Everyone: Lets anyone on Xbox LIVE communicate with you by using voice and text.
   • Friends Only: Limits who can communicate with you to only people on your friends list.
   • Blocked: Prevents everyone from communicating with you. (However, you will still receive system messages and friend requests.)

Family settings

The Family Settings feature lets you control video chat and voice chat for everyone who uses your console during Xbox LIVE communications.

Note Family Settings are password protected. You select a password the first time that you access Family Settings. These settings apply to everyone who uses the console.

To access the Family Settings feature, follow these steps:

1. Press the Xbox Guide button.
2. In the Settings area, select Family Settings.
3. From the Family Settings main menu, you can configure the following options:
   • New Online Friends: Controls the addition of friends to a user's friends lists.
   • Voice and Text: Controls whom a user can communicate with by using voice and text on Xbox LIVE.
   • Video: Controls whom a user can communicate with by using video on Xbox LIVE.
   • Gamer Profile Sharing
   • Gamer Profile Viewing
   • Online Status: Controls whether other people can see a user's online status.

Additional support

Please visit the following Web site for information about how to contact Xbox Customer Support: