Making a Group FaceTime call on your iPhone or iPad is very easy and even supports up to 32 people at the same time. In this tip you can read how this works and what the options are.
This is how you conduct a FaceTime group call
The FaceTime app is installed by default on every iPhone, iPad and Mac, making it an accessible way to quickly start a video call with others. The feature is easy to use, but probably has more options and functions than you might expect. For example, it is possible to make video calls in a group with 32 people at the same time.
Pay attention: to start a group call, each participant must be running iOS 12.1 or later. This update was released October 30, 2018. Therefore, most iPhones and iPads will support this feature by default.
1. This is how you start a FaceTime group conversation
You can start a video call for several people in two ways. The easiest way is via the FaceTime app, which is installed by default on every iPhone and iPad.
- Open the FaceTime app;
- Click on the plus in the top right corner of the screen;
- Enter the names of the people you want to have the conversation with;
- When all participants are selected, you can choose to have a group conversation via audio or video.
Another option is via the Messages app (iMessage), which is also standard on every iPhone and iPad.
- Open the Messages app;
- Select an existing group conversation or create a new one;
- Tap the name of the conversation at the top of the screen so that a new menu appears;
- Choose ‘FaceTime’ to start a group call.
You can also add other people to a video call during an active call. You do this by tapping the three dots on your iPhone screen while calling. You can then manually add people to the conversation.
2. This keeps the conversation organized
To keep the conversation organized (especially if more than four people are active) FaceTime automatically selects a person who is bigger in the picture than the rest. This depends on whether the person is talking or not. This way you can always see the person who is calling.
3. Add graphic effects and Animoji
By adding some graphic effects, you can make a FaceTime call that little bit more fun. While the conversation is in progress, you can tap the star icon at the bottom of the screen. This will bring up a special menu in which you can choose filters, stickers, shapes, text and Animoji.
Animoji in particular are a nice addition, because these figures are glued to your face and then imitate your facial expressions. Animoji are available on iPhone X and later, as long as your iPhone or iPad has a Face ID camera. The iPhone SE 2020 therefore does not support this function.
Also read: Guide: Everything you need to know about Animoji and Memoji in iOS 12