How do i get AIM on the iPhone?

[pistolpete59]

can someone please help me get aim on my iphone...im really not good with all the computer stuff if somebody please explain it to me

[VvWolverinevV]

pistolpete59, welcome to BBB! In your self-declared naivete, you have come to a disappointing conclusion that has been cursed all across the internet: there is apparently no native instant messaging client on the iPhone (or the iPod Touch, which is what I have).

AOL offers an iPhone version of aol.com at http://iphone.aol.com/; however, it only contains news and links, including a link to AOL mail.
For chatting on AIM, I see two main options:

1. Set up your offline AIM messages to be forwarded to your iPhone number as text messages. Read about this option here.
2. Use http://www.meebo.com/mobile/ (and select "AIM" from the network pulldown menu). Meebo has a pretty good mobile version of their site. (Several other web applications, including http://iphone.beejive.com and https://www.astra.im/iphone/, also look legit, but I have never used any of them.)

There is speculation about Apple's intent to develop the (missing) iPhone IM application following their patent of said technology, but who knows?

Some other useful links:

• A detailed guide on how to use the mobile version of meebo.com.
• Google Talk now has an iPhone/Touch-compatible version. GChat (available only via Gmail) allows you to login to your AIM account; perhaps Google Talk will also allow this in the future.
• A "hack" that claims to allow an "unauthorized instant messaging client to be installed on the iPhone". I'm not sure if it is necessary to unlock the iPhone in order to perform this hack, but if it is I would NOT do it in light of the high risk of damaging the device beyond repair.

Good luck, and feel free to post back with any questions you might have