• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

GeeksModo

News and Tips for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and All things Apple

  • Home
  • iPhone
  • iPad
  • Watch
  • Apps
  • Reviews
  • Tips
  • How-To
  • Mac
You are here: Home / How-To / How to Make FaceTime Conference Calls: Quick Start Guide

How to Make FaceTime Conference Calls: Quick Start Guide

Last Updated On August 12, 2020 by GeeksModo Staff

In this article, I’ll explain exactly how you can set up and make FaceTime conference calls (also called group calls) on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac. A conference
call refers to an audio or video call in which 3 or more participants converse at the same time. And you can do this using your iPhone, iPad or Mac
without buying extra software or tools. It is pretty simple and straightforward.

FaceTime Conference Call Requirements

  • You can conference call up to 31 people, 32 if you include yourself on FaceTime.
  • All of the participants need to have an Apple device:
    • iPhone 6s or newer, iPad Pro or newer, iPad Air 2 or newer, iPad mini 4 or newer, iPad (5th generation) or newer, or iPod touch (7th generation) or newer,
      running iOS 12.1.4 or higher, or iPadOS. To check your software version and update your device, head over to Settings > General > Software Update.
    • Mac computers running macOS Mojave 10.14.3 or higher. To check your macOS version, click the Apple menu and About This Mac.
  • Obviously, all participants should have FaceTime on their devices. If you deleted the app, you canget it from the App Store.
  • Other users including Android users, Windows users, etc cannot participate.

How to make FaceTime conference call on iPhone,iPad or iPod Touch

You can make FaceTime conference call in two ways :

  • You can start a call from the FaceTime app.
  • You can also start a call from the Messages app.

How to make FaceTime conference call using the FaceTime app

Here is how to make FaceTime conference call using the FaceTime app:

  • Launch the FaceTime app.
  • Tap the (+) add icon (located in the top-right-hand corner of the screen).
  • This new screen will read “New FaceTime”. In the “To:” field, start typing the participants, you can enter names, numbers or emails. If you tap the
    (+) add icon in the “To:” field, you can add participants right from your contacts.
  • As you type, iOS will provide you with a list of suggested participants. You will notice that some contacts will appear in blue while others will appear in gray. Only
    the blue contacts can be added. Blue contacts is an indication that their devices and software support conference FaceTime.
  • As we’ve already pointed out, you can add up to 32 participants at a go.
  • When you are finished adding participants, initiate the conference call by tapping either the audio or video button.

How to make FaceTime conference call using the Messages app

Here is how to make FaceTime conference call using messages app

  • Launch the Messages app on your Apple device.
  • Create a
    group message:

    • Tap the new message icon which is located in the upper right corner of the screen. Open an existing group conversation.
      New message
    • Type in participants in the “To:” field. You can also tap the add button to add participants right from your contact list.
  • At the top of the conversation lists, you will see avatars, tap on it.
  • And then tap the FaceTime icon.

How to answer a conference call

So someone has given you a FaceTime conference call. Here is how you can answer it on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch:

  • You will get a notification.
  • Now, tap the notification to answer or decline a call.
  • Also, you can join the call from the Messages app and FaceTime app.

How to make a FaceTime conference call on Mac

You can also start a conference FaceTime call on your Mac. Just like the iPhone and iPad, you can use the Messages app to start a call. You can
only use the FaceTime app to make the call. Here is how to make a FaceTime conference call on Mac:

  • Launch the FaceTime app on your Mac.
  • Type in the names, emails or numbers of people you want to call on the search field.
  • You can add up to 32 participants.
  • Finally, tap the Video or Audio button to start your FaceTime conference call.

Use Messages on your Mac

  • On your Mac, launch the Messages app.
  • Click on the group message.
  • Now, click on Details.
  • Finally, click the video or phone button to start your audio or video conference call.

How to answer a conference call on your Mac

So you’ve received a conference call on your Mac?

  • You will get a notification.
  • Use the notification to answer (or decline) the call.
  • You can also answer a call in the Messages app.
  • You can also answer in the FaceTime app.

FaceTime conference calls not working? fix:

  • See this article if group FaceTime is not working.
  • On your Apple device, ensure that you’ve enabled FaceTime. You can check this by heading over to Settings > FaceTime.
  • Restart your Apple device.
  • Ensure that your camera and microphone are working (Check out this article if your
    Mac’s microphone is not working).
  • Ensure that your Apple device is running the latest software version:
    • iPhone or iPad: Head over to Settings > General > Software Update.

    • macOS: Click the Apple menu and go to System Preferences > Software Update.
    • Make sure that your Apple device is connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network. Here is how you can troubleshoot your connection problems:
      • iPad Wi-Fi problems: fix.
      • iPhone Wi-Fi problems: fix.
      • Mac Wi-Fi problems: fix.
    • Make sure that Date & Time settings are correct:
      • iPhone or iPad: Head over to Settings > General > Date & Time and then enable Set Automatically.
      • macOS: Click the Apple menu, go to System Preferences > Date & Time > and then check the “set date and time automatically” box. You will need to click the
        lock icon and type in your password for your changes to take effect.

    More Stories For You:

    1. How to Group FaceTime on Your Mac, iPhone, or iPad: Guide
    2. How to Make FaceTime Audio Call on Apple Watch
    3. How to remove activation lock on iPhone in 2022
    4. How to Use Online Dating Apps Safely
    5. How to Set Up an iPhone For a Blind Person

    Reader Interactions

    Submit a comment Cancel reply

    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Trending

    Apple Music: One hundred million songs.

    16 Apple Music tips and tricks for iPhone (iOS 16 Updated)

    The search field in the Mail app. The search field is empty, but the predictive search results that fill the screen from top to bottom are an email subject, email recipients, the email sender, documents, and links.  

    16 Tips and Tricks to Master The Mail App on Your iPhone

    Apple Music: One hundred million songs.

    Apple Music vs Amazon Music: Which is better for iPhone users in 2023?

    The second-generation AirPods Pro and new charging case.

    Found Lost AirPods – Can You Find the Owner? Can You Use Them?

    The photo library displayed in Days view. A selection of photo thumbnails fills the screen. In the top left of the screen are the date and location where the photos were taken. In the top right are the Select and More Options buttons to share photos and see details. Below the thumbnails are options to view the photo library by Years, Months, Days, and All Photos. Along the bottom are the Library, For You, Albums, and Search buttons.  

    13 Tips and Tricks to Master The Photos App on Your iPhone

    iPhone showing iMessage apps in a messages conversation  

    15 Tricks to Get The Most Out of Messages app on Your iPhone

    Footer

    Top Sections

    • Home
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Mac
    • Watch
    • How-To
    • Tips
    • Apps
    • Reviews

    Contact info

    • About Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Editorial Guidelines

    Company

    • Accessibility statement
    • Terms Of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright Notice

    Follow us

    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Stay in the loop!

    Get new posts delivered straight to your inbox.

    Disclaimer

    This website is not owned by, is not licensed by nor is a subsidiary of Apple Inc. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Please follow this link to read the complete disclaimer.

    Copyright © 2023  - GeeksModo Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of materials found on this site, in any form, without explicit permission is prohibited!