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QQ is targeted mainly for the Chinese market and for non-Chinese speaking people like myself it can be quite difficult to start using QQ. I have created this QQ help page to guide you through registering your own QQ number, downloading the right software and to finally start chatting.
Before you can start using QQ, you need to register a free account.
Step 1 : Free QQ signup / registration
Tencent launched a new improved English website to register a free QQ account:
http://en.emailreg.qq.com/
In the past it was only possible to register a QQ number, but since 2007 it is also possible to register with your existing email address. The signup procedure is very simple. I have not tried signing up with an email address before, but from what I understand you will receive a QQ number that is bound to your email address.
You will be asked to create a password. This password is important, so don't forget it! After you filled out all the steps, you will get your own free QQ ID! With this ID, you are all set for the next step, using QQ IM!
Important tip: after you registered your QQ account, it's a very good idea to immediately set some security questions. These security questions will help you to reset your password if you ever forgot it. You can set ID protection on this English page: https://account.qq.com/cgi-bin/en/index
Step 2 : Download a QQ chat program
Until recently, it was always quite difficult to use QQ for foreigners. Things have changed for the better though and now even the most recent version of QQ is also available in English.
For Windows:
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QQ International: English, Japanese and French!
The QQ International team has been working hard on improved versions for International users. As of the 2nd of Februari 2010, beta 3 of QQ International has been released. This version is a big improvement over QQ 2009 Engish and has many special features especially for the international audience. For example there is support for English, Japanese and French, there is English news from around China, special interest groups and much more. If you are running an older version, you should definitely have a look: http://download.imqq.com/download.shtml There is even a very useful international QQ portal now!
For Apple Mac:
- QQ for Mac (Chinese and English)
 Recently Tencent has released it's first official version for the Mac called 'QQ for Mac'. Currently it is still in preview phase and it can be downloaded from the QQ for Mac website (10.3MB). I don't have a Mac, so I never tested this version myself. Judging from the popularity of the Mac desktop and laptops, this is a welcome addition. QQ for Mac 1.0 beta 1 supports both the Intel and PowerPC platform and it supports Tiger and Leopard versions of Mac OS X. It is supposed to select the correct language based on the OS. At the moment some features are still missing, but you can already use it for basic chatting.
Third party for Apple Mac:
Adium is a cross-IM chat client that runs on OS X 10.4.0 or greater. It supports not only QQ, but also Live Messenger (MSN), Aol, Yahoo and other messengers. Using a third party messenger has it's advantages (easier to talk to friends using other networks), but also disadvantages (not all features, sometimes protocol changes). I have heard good things about Adium, so you could give it a try.
For Linux:
 QQ for linux has been released 31st July 2008 as a preview version. This means there are still some bugs, and work is not yet done, but at least we can now use QQ on linux and don't have to rely on 3rd party tools. QQ for Linux can be downloaded form the website. Note that the website is still in Chinese only, I don't know if there will be an English version of QQ for Linux. I have not yet had a chance to try it out myself, but I'm happy that QQ is finally available for Linux. I hope the team will be able to keep improving this new Linux version!
Difference Tencent Messenger and QQ:
Tencent Messenger and QQ are two separate products for different people, but of course you can chat from either program with all your QQ friends. QQ just offers more functionality and integration with other (Chinese) QQ services. For English users I would recommend either TM2008 or try the new preview version of QQ2009.
update Nov. 2008 : a visitor to my website asked why he couldn't find chatrooms in TM2008 and also how to talk with other people (without adding them). It turns out that Tencent Messenger does not have chatrooms (but QQ does). Both in QQ and TM it seems you are not able to chat with people who are not in your buddy list. You first need to add a user as friend.
Or visit the new www.imqq.com website!
In january 2009 Tencent quietly launched a new international version of im.qq.com website. For the first time it's totally in English and finally there is a clear portal that explains how to signup for a QQ account (besides my page of course  ) http://www.imqq.com
Update Februari 2010: As of early 2010, the international website has undergone a major face-lift. It now features English news from around China, events calender, listings, videos and QQ Groups. I have watched some of the videos about the upcoming Shanghai World Expo and the quality and professionalism amazed me. There are even (free) Chinese lessons! I think this is great news for all the expats staying in China who are interested in learning more about China and staying in touch with their Chinese friends.
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Hi i am Spanish speaking person and I can say I use QQ linux version it is easy to use! If U
qq.com
When I try to sign in it says I am already signed in. But there is no chat box?