How to configure Pidgin to work with Google Talk

Pidgin (earlier Gaim) is a multiple protocol Instant Messenger client which can be used to chat using MSN, Yahoo, AIM and many other protocols. But most people do not know that you can use Pidgin to chat with Google Talk users.

Pidgin supports a protocol called XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol). XMPP is the core protocol of the Jabber protocol and GTalk is also based on the Jabber protocol. So it is quite easy to make Pidgin to work with GTalk.

How to configure Pidgin to work with Google Talk

Download & Install the latest version of Pidgin.
Open Pidgin and go to Add / Edit Account window of Pidgin.
From the drop-down box choose XMPP as the Protocol.
For the Screen name enter your Google Id (Gmail Id). eg. manast86
For Server enter gmail.com

Pidgin GTalk

You can leave the Resource with the default ï¿½Homeï¿½.
In the Password field enter your Google ID password.
Enter Local alias as whatever you want to.

Thatï¿½s it. Now you can start chatting with your GTalk buddies using Pidgin while keeping in touch with users of other IM users also. Now, who needs separate YIM and GTalk instant messengers open.

Update 15 / 05 / 07

Troubleshooting (Suggested by Charlie in comments) - Some readers have reported that they are getting “Connect Error” when saving the account. If you get the same error, try going to the advanced tab and enter the following settings…

Force old (port 5223) SSL: Checked
Allow plaintext auth over unencrypted streams: Un-Checked
Connect Port: 443
Connect Server: talk.google.com
Proxy type: Use Global Proxy Settings

Hope it works now.

Trackbacks (20)
Comments (213)

#1 written by Sarita Mishra
about 5 months ago

Great! It works !
thanx manas
#2 written by Anoop
about 5 months ago

Dear iam not able to use g talk after using the above mentioned description. The following errow message is getting while trying to upload the g talk.

“SSL Handshake failed”.

Pls assist
#3 written by grudknows
about 4 months ago

What if I am using a google account but not a gmail.com domain – ie. google talk with my own email address?
#4 written by MIH1406
about 4 months ago

Thank you very very very much

I do not know what can I say for your help to configure Gmail account.

Thank you and best wishes
Mohammad AlHobayyeb
#5 written by Sujay
about 4 months ago

Hey thanks a lot..
it was supercool i was able to use pidgin

thanks for your Knowledge sharing
keep posting
#6 written by saz
about 4 months ago

thanks manav,

your troubleshooting thing worked perfectly
#7 written by Dominic Sayers
about 4 months ago

For anybody still struggling to get a non-gmail Google account signed in to Googletalk on Pidgin, here’s what I did (with thanks to SpaceCowboy above for the clue):

1. You need a Gmail account associated with your Google account. There’s no way round this for Googletalk.

2. Log into Google using your non-Gmail account (somebody@somewhere.com).

3. Register for Gmail. This will change the primary email account for that Google account to a new Gmail account (somebody@googlemail.com). There’s no way round this, sorry. But if you use that Google account to send email it will still appear to come from somebody@somewhere.com.

4. You can’t change the primary email address for that Google account so don’t bother trying.

5. Add your Google account to Pidgin:

Protocol: ‘Google Talk’,
Username: ’somebody’,
Domain: ’somewhere.com’.
You don’t need to change any of the advanced settings.

You should now be able to log in to Googletalk using Pidgin without getting “‘Not authorized’. Hope this helps.
#8 written by vivek
about 3 months ago

for me pidgin is saying like this

“Unable to send file to ruganblue@gmail.com/Talk.v104D8484D28, user does not support file transfers”
#9 written by mOJOjOJO
about 3 months ago

You can send files only to users using Pidgin.
ruganblue@gmail.com/Talk.v104D8484D28, —this shows that the user in using Gtalk windows client while u r using Pidgin, so u couldn’t sent any file.
#10 written by Abhijit
about 2 months ago

I have installed pidgin2.6.3 on my office pc.
But I was unable to configure single chat client .
I have tried to connect to gtalk but it is not possible.

We have internet connection through LAN in the office and we are using proxy address for coonection.

I dont know much about these settings pl help me to configure gtalk client in pid gin.
#11 written by Eman
about 1 month ago

This tutorial i helpful. wish i could see this before.

thanks a lot.
cheers.
#12 written by fathi
about 1 month ago

thank dear
#13 written by rey langit
about 1 week ago

thanks dude! it works… =)

How to configure Pidgin to work with Google Talk

How to configure Pidgin to work with Google Talk

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