FaceTime: How it works and more about Apple's video calling app

• What devices is this available on?
• How to activate the Activation service on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
• Activate it from your Mac computer
• Failed to activate FaceTime

What devices is this available on?

Nowadays, the FaceTime app can be found on almost all devices as it is present on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac . In other devices such as the Apple Watch, Apple TV or HomePod, it is not available as such due to the obvious shortcomings of these devices for making calls, although it should be said that this does not make it impossible to use them as call receivers, something that we explore in the next section.

To this day, FaceTime is not available on any other non-branded device. Therefore, it cannot be used on Android phones or tablets or on computers with Windows as the operating system.

How to make a FaceTime call from iPhone to iPhone

iMessage on iPhone - what is it, where is it located

To call another iPhone user using FaceTime, just go to the phone book and find the desired person. If he is also registered in the program, then next to the standard “Call” and “Message” icons a third one will appear - “Call via FaceTime”.

FaceTime call

In addition, the application allows you to switch a regular, already ongoing call into a FaceTime conversation. To do this, on the main screen, without interrupting the dialogue, you need to click on the “FaceTime” button. This can be useful when a simple dialogue is not enough, and you want the person on the other end to see everything with your own eyes.

This application is extremely convenient, for which it is appreciated by users around the world. It brings together family and friends who are far from home, allowing them to share joyful events and moments. In addition, the application is often used in business for long-distance or international negotiations.

For your information! If a call is made using the mobile Internet, then traffic is charged from the user. The cost of the service can be clarified with your cellular operator. Therefore, it is recommended to use your home Wi-Fi network for communication.

How to activate the service

This is a truly automatic process and will only appear on screen the first time you sign in on a device compatible with your Apple ID. A pop-up window will open telling you if you want to activate this service along with the iMessages that are linked. This should happen when you accept it, although if you didn't accept it at that time or it didn't even show up, you should follow these steps.

Activation on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

1. Open settings.
2. Go to FaceTime.
3. Activate the corresponding tab.
4. Choose your FaceTime contact method (phone number, email address, or both).

Activate it from your Mac computer

1. Open the FaceTime app.
2. Confirm activation of the service.
3. From the toolbar, select FaceTime > Settings.
4. Select the options you want, including how the service should contact you via email, phone number, or both.

Failed to activate FaceTime

In some cases, service activation may fail, for example:

• I'm waiting for activation.
• Incorrect activation.
• An error occurred during activation.
• Unable to login. Check your network connection and try again.
• The iMessage server cannot be contacted. Try again.

Well, before any of these errors you should run the following checks:

• Make sure you have an internet connection via Wi-Fi or mobile data as this is required to activate the service.
• Make sure you have the latest software update available. You can download the latest version on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
• To download it on a Mac, you must go to System Preferences > Software Update or App Store > Updates.

How to enable the program

Before you can make calls, you need to enable Facetime in the Settings section. To do this, go to the subsection of the same name and drag the inclusion slider to the right edge.

You will also need to indicate your account in the Apple infrastructure, that is, log in with your ID. An alternative option is to launch the FaceTime application and log in with your Apple ID.

Please note that the program uses the phone number automatically. There is no need to enter it manually.

Also, after turning on, the application will perform activation. Wait until it finishes to fully enjoy calls.

Is it worth the money to activate FaceTime?

There is some controversy about this, since FaceTime itself is free , like the iMessage messaging service with which it is bundled. However, there are phone companies that may charge a small amount of money, no more than 20 cents per activation, so we recommend checking with your operator and, if you find anything strange on your bill, claiming it.

FaceTime works over the Internet, so you'll end up needing to pay for a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection to be able to use it, which can be seen as a cost. Although obviously this is one of the many benefits of the Internet, you may not qualify for paid FaceTime for it.

Available call types

The most famous of FaceTime are: video calling , being in fact the most popular application in countries like the US. They work in the same way as other similar applications, so for practical purposes there is no difference, except for some options that can be found during their operation and which we will see in the next section.

The least known of FaceTime are voice calls and the fact is that they can be very interesting for making regular calls without having to resort to classic calls that require voice coverage and in some cases have a special speed. If you have a relative or friend from another country, these FaceTime calls are free and more practical than others.

Turn on Face Time

Before you understand the reasons for the Face Time activation error, you need to make sure that you enable the service correctly.

1. Open settings.
2. Go to the "Face Time" section.

   
   

3. Click on “Your Apple ID for Face Time.”
4. Enter ID details.

   
   

5. Move the Face Time slider to the active position.
6. Wait until the “Waiting for Activation” message disappears.

After activation is complete, fill in the “Your call address” and “Subscriber ID” fields. The setup is complete - you can now make calls via Face Time. To use the communication service, find a contact in the Phone application and select an audio or video call in the “Face Time” field.

If the contact does not have such a field, this indicates that the recipient has not activated Face Time on his device, or he does not have such a program at all - for example, he uses an Android device.

How to Make and Receive FaceTime Calls

Once appearing, you receive a FaceTime call , whether video or voice-only, the same banner that appears on a regular call will appear on your screen. This way, you will have the option to answer, hang up, or even ignore the call. As for the methods of making calls, we will see several below.

From the application itself

If you open FaceTime on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac, you'll find an option in the interface to search for a contact through a search box. Once you have selected it, you can choose whether to make a video or voice call.

From a contact card

If you open the contacts app and select one that has FaceTime available, you can directly access the call through that service.

Using Siri

Among its actions, Apple's smart assistant has the ability to make calls using FaceTime. You just need to indicate that you want to make a "voice call" or "video call" "via FaceTime" and then tell it the contact you want to call.

In an iMessage conversation

As we saw in this article, FaceTime is related to iMessage. If you're in this type of conversation in the Messages app, you can click on the contact's name and you'll see an option appear below to create a FaceTime, which also applies to group chats.

Make a group FaceTime

iOS 12 and macOS Mojave add the ability to make group FaceTime calls with up to 32 participants. To do this, you simply need to click the "Add" button to enter participants before making the call. If you're already talking to another person, you can also add participants to the video call using the option that appears on the screen, and you can do this regardless of whether you initiated the call or not.

Nuances of using the program

• There is no way to turn off the camera during communication. The only option is to press the "Home" button on the iPhone during a conversation, but the camera will only turn off for a short time.
• You can make a call via FaceTime even if there is no cellular signal. The only thing needed for communication is the Internet.

According to a security study of leading video communication methods, FaceTime scored 5 out of 7 points. According to these results, Apple's program even outperformed the familiar Skype.

Mute microphone and hide camera

If you don't want to be heard or seen, you can turn off both your microphone and camera during a video call. These options are available on both iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac computers.

Take pictures during calls

During a video call, you can take a “live photo” of the participants. To do this, you must press the capture button, which is identical to the button in the Camera app on iPhone. These photos will be saved in the Photos app, and unlike normal capture, the frame you appear in is cropped within them, in addition to various customization fields.

Effects available in FaceTime

There are a number of effects on the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that, while they may vary depending on the device model, are usually the same for all as long as you have the latest version of the software. Here are some of them:

• Memoji Stickers: You can place a fixed sticker with one of the Memoji you create anywhere.
• Filters: It You might want to add a filter to a video meeting so that other participants will see you with different light, color, and brightness effects than natural ones.
• Text: You can write anything and change it at some point in the call, and the text will remain in the same position when moved.
• Graphics: You can make a drawing yourself and fix it in the same way as the previous options.
• Animoji and Memoji: With one of these elements you can hide your face and make it follow your movements and even imitate your gestures.
• Other: If you have an app with FaceTime functionality, that will appear too. For example, from the Apple Watch Fitness app, you can add trophy stickers that you receive with your watch.

How to switch a regular call to FaceTime

If you're on a regular voice call, you can switch to a FaceTime video call. Of course, to do this you must meet the requirement that the person you are talking to has FaceTime activated and is in your contacts. If so, all you have to do is enter the call, press the appropriate FaceTime button, and that call will automatically hang up and begin the video call.

How FaceTime works on Apple TV and HomePod

We said at the beginning that there are certain Apple devices that, despite not having the FaceTime app as such, can receive this type of call. The way to do this is extremely simple. For Apple TV, you will only need to copy the screen of your Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch on that device and you will be able to make a video call on the TV in a certain way, but remember that in the end the rest of the participants will be watching you through the main camera of another device .

Transferring a call to your HomePod is extremely easy, and if you have audio output set up through it, you'll be able to hear the other person. Obviously, if it's a video call, the image will still be on the Mac, iPhone or iPad for obvious reasons since the HomePod doesn't have a screen.

FaceTime calls on Apple Watch

The case of Apple Watch and FaceTime calls is similar to the previous ones. Voice calls can be made and received on the watch, but video calls may not. While it's true that the Apple Watch's screen could give way to this, even if it's very small, the lack of a camera makes this impractical.

To make a voice call using FaceTime on your watch, all you need to do is use Siri with commands similar to those described in the previous sections. You can also open the Phone app, go to Contacts, select who you want to call, and select the FaceTime audio option.

Peculiarities

In addition to the combined software and hardware approach, FaceTime has the following features:

• audio/video calls;
• integration with contact list;
• the technology itself is completely free (except that you may be charged for traffic, for example, if you use a mobile connection and the tariff is not unlimited);
• work via any Internet connection.

And one more feature - you don't have to think about how to install the FaceTime application. It is already integrated into the OS.

Limitations of this service

Despite everything shown, FaceTime is not a perfect service. If you compare it with other applications, then perhaps there is no certain “professional” order. In other words, it can be a very interesting application for family and friends, but not in professional areas. Obviously, this will depend on the type of meeting you want to have, but there are some features that FaceTime may be missing, some of which stand out:

• There is no chat during a video call.
• It is not possible to mute other participants.
• You can't schedule video calls.
• You cannot create different rooms.
• You cannot change the background during a video call.

Is video calling safe?

Now that everyone is stuck at home, they are looking for ways to connect with friends, family and colleagues, and video calling is growing in popularity. However, people have become concerned about their safety when using various services such as Zoom, FaceTime and others .

Many security concerns stem from the fact that most video calling services collect too much data about their users. This applies to popular cross-platform services such as ZOOM, Houseparty and others.

Although, personally, I think that for the average user, doubts about the security of video calling services are a little exaggerated. Despite the recent leak of thousands of calls made via ZOOM, they are not widespread.

How to remove FaceTime from devices

The app itself does not allow you to uninstall as it is one of the native Apple apps which cannot be uninstalled. It can be hidden in a folder or in the application library in the case of an iPhone, but not completely erased. What you can do is turn off FaceTime so that you cannot be contacted through these means.

The way to do this is really similar to the activation way. From iPhone, iPad or iPod touch:

1. Open settings.
2. Go to FaceTime.
3. Disable the FaceTime tab.

On a Mac computer, here are the steps you need to follow:

• Open the FaceTime app.
• From the top menu, click FaceTime.
• Now click on Settings.
• Click Close Session.

Disabling an application

Not everyone liked the Facetime app. The reason for user dissatisfaction is related to the random use of the program. A request for a video call can be made when the interlocutors do not want it. This is why many users are looking for information on how to disable facetime on their device. To get rid of the application, you need to go to the settings and select “Limited access”; you can reinforce the effect by entering a password. Now you need to switch the toggle switch opposite the application icon and it will no longer interfere with the contact list. Getting facetime back is very simple by switching the toggle switch.