The contact list

• With the contact list in focus, you can access a contact search field by pressing ⌘+F or by simply typing into the contact list. The search field works like filter, narrowing down the results as you type.

You can double-click contacts in the list to open (or switch to) a messaging tab with them. See Sending messages for more information.

Hover your mouse cursor over a contact without moving it for a moment to reveal an informational tooltip about that person. You can then move over other contacts to see their information. More info can be found via the Get Info window -- click a contact, then select Get Info from the Contact menu.

The contact list can be arranged in groups. See Managing contacts for information on adding, moving, deleting, and combining contacts.

The contact list shows status icons by default. Its appearance -- including what is displayed in it -- can be configured in many different ways via the Appearance Preferences. Select from built-in list layouts and color themes, download user-created ones from AdiumXtras, or create your own by clicking the Customize buttons there.

See the View menu for other ways to control the contact list, such as sorting or showing/hiding offline contacts. Sorting and displaying contacts has more details.