Ready to Video Chat? How to Group FaceTime
If you’re stuck inside, a group chat with friends can be a lifesaver. On an iPhone or iPad, FaceTime lets you chat with as many as 32 different people. Here’s how to connect.
Still chatting with just one person on FaceTime? That’s so 2018; since iOS 12.1, Apple’s video chat feature has supported chats with up to 32 people.
Using either the FaceTime or Messages app, you add all the people you want to chat with and then place the call, or place the call to one or more people first and add others once the call has started. And to have fun with your own face on the call, add filters, text, Animoji, Memoji, and other effects.
Group FaceTime video calls are supported on the iPhone 6s or newer, the iPad Pro or newer, the iPad Air 2, and the iPad mini 4. Older iOS devices can participate in a group call but they’ll receive only the audio feed and no video. Group FaceTime has been hit by various bugs and problems in the past, so your best bet is to update your device to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS.
Before you decide to place your first call, make sure you’re on the latest version of the OS. To check, open Settings > General > Software Update. Your device will tell you if the operating system is up to date. If it’s not, you’ll be prompted to download and install the latest update. You may also want to ask your potential participants if they’re up to date as well.
Start a FaceTime Group Call
To start a group video call from FaceTime, open the FaceTime app and tap the + icon at the top of the contacts list. In the To field, start typing the name or number of the first person you wish to call. As you type, a list of suggested contacts pops up.
You’ll notice that some contacts appear in blue, while others appear in gray. The ones in blue are people who’ve updated to iOS 12.1 or higher and have a device that supports group FaceTime. The ones in gray either have not updated or own an older, unsupported device. To include someone in a group FaceTime call, make sure that person’s name is in blue and tap the name or number.
Enter Additional Participants
To add another person to the call, type a name or number after the first person. Again, make sure the person’s name appears in blue and then tap it to add them to the call. Continue doing this until you’ve added all the necessary people.
Select Additional Participants
Alternatively, tap the + icon in the To field to access your contact list and select the name of the person you want to add. The downside with this approach is that you don’t know if the contact’s device supports group FaceTime until you actually add the person.
At that point, the contact either appears in blue with the Audio and Video buttons accessible, or they appear in gray with the Audio and Video buttons grayed out and inaccessible.
Answer a Group Call
After you’ve added the people you wish to call, start the conversation by tapping either the audio or video button. Each person you add to the call receives a notification on their iPhone or iPad. By tapping the notification, each person will then answer the call and be added to the chat. If FaceTime is already open, the person can also tap on the call to join it.
Make a Call from iMessage
You can also make a group FaceTime call from iMessage as long as there’s an existing message thread involving those people. Open iMessage and tap the group message thread for the people you wish to call. Tap the image icon at the top of the screen and select FaceTime. The FaceTime call is then placed to everyone in that message thread. Each person can tap the notification to join the call.
How FaceTime Group Calls Work
Most of us probably won’t be chatting with upwards of 30 people on a FaceTime call, but with even a half dozen people, you’re probably wondering how you keep the conversation straight.
When you call more than one person, FaceTime triggers a notification so each person can join the call. If the call is placed from an iMessage group chat, the active call will display in your conversation. The video call will start when the first person you invited answers, with the screen indicating you’re waiting for other people.
Each participant can see the other people in their own individual thumbnail windows. The image of the person currently speaking is highlighted and appears at the top of the screen, while the other participants show up below.
The group chat also resizes each person’s image based on how active they are in the conversation, how long the person is speaking, the volume of speech, and the person’s movements. Anyone not actively speaking appears toward the bottom of the screen until they chime in. You can also tap a person’s image to enlarge it.
After the call is over, each person taps the + button to disconnect.
Add Participants During a Live Call
You can also add people after the call has already started. To do this, kick off the call with at least one other participant. Tap the screen and swipe up on the small panel of icons to enlarge it. Tap the command to Add Person. Type the name or number of the person or tap the + icon to see your contacts and select who you want to call. Once you have found the person, tap Add Person to FaceTime.
Restart an Old Call
If you wish to call the same people at another time in the future, you don’t need to add everyone again. Just open FaceTime and tap the previous video call among all those participants, and each of them will receive a notification to join the call.
Add Effects to Your Call
Want to spice up your face on a FaceTime call? You and any of the other participants can do that by adding stickers, text, Animoji, Memoji, and other effects. Tap the screen and then tap the star icon from the small panel of icons.
From there, tap the icon for the effect you want to add, such as the lizard icon for an Animoji, the three colored circles icon for filters, the Aa icon for text, and the red squiggle icon for shapes.
With shapes and other images, you can move them around the screen. Writer whatever text you want and then move the text around.
Originally published at https://www.pcmag.com.
