14 Useful FaceTime Tips and Tricks Every iPhone User Should Know

Most of us use FaceTime on our iPhones every day, but are you getting the most out of it? Here are 14 FaceTime tips and tricks to help turbocharge video and audio calls on your iPhone.

FaceTime is Apple’s video and audio chatting platform that lets iPhone users communicate with one another through the standard FaceTime video protocol or using the FaceTime audio feature. Most of us probably use FaceTime on our iPhones daily. But are you getting the most out of the Apple’s video and audio chatting application?

To make sure you are, here are 14 tips and tricks to help you use FaceTime on your iPhone more effectively.

14 Tips and Tricks to Use FaceTime on Your iPhone More Effectively

1. Watch movies and TV shows together in FaceTime on your iPhone

You can easily watch movies with your friends on FaceTime using SharePlay. Apple introduced this FaceTime feature alongside iOS 15 and macOS Monterey.

The other people in the FaceTime call must also be Apple device users for you to use this FaceTime trick on your iPhone. And because of Digital Rights Management (DRM) restrictions, they must also be subscribed to the streaming service you use while sharing your screen.

1. Open the FaceTime app on your iPhone and start a FaceTime call.
2. Swipe up from the bottom edge of the FaceTime call, then open a video streaming app that supports SharePlay.
3. Choose a movie or TV show, and press play. If prompted, tap SharePlay.

Playback controls are shared by everyone watching, so anyone can play, pause, rewind, or fast forward. Changing settings like closed captioning and volume will affect your device only.

You can also start a SharePlay session from supported streaming apps.

1. Open your streaming app.
2. Find a movie or TV show that you want to share. Tap the Menu button or the Share button .
3. Tap SharePlay, then enter the contacts that you want to call.
4. Tap FaceTime to start FaceTime video. Or tap the Audio button to start FaceTime audio.
5. Start the video.

Playback controls are shared by everyone watching, so anyone can play, pause, rewind, or fast forward. Changing settings like closed captioning and volume will affect your device only.

2. Blur Your Messy Background With Portrait Mode in FaceTime

In the middle of an important meeting and don’t want your coworkers to see how messy your room is? Don’t worry because you can blur your background with a FaceTime trick on your iPhone.

Portrait mode is a video effect available on devices with the A12 Bionic chip and later. So it will onlywork on:

• iPhone 14 series
• iPhone 13 series
• iPhone 12 series
• iPhone 11 series
• iPhone SE 2020
• iPhone XS series
• iPhone XR

This means, if you have iPhone X, iPhone 8, or earlier, you won’t be able to use blurred background on video calls.

Here’s how to blur the background in FaceTime video calls on iPhone

1. Launch the FaceTime app on your iPhone and start a video call with any of your contacts.
2. Tap your video view at the bottom right corner to expand it and reveal options.
3. Select the Portrait Mode icon located at the top left corner to blur the background in your FaceTime video call.

3. Add filters, text and more to your FaceTime calls

Apart from Portrait Mode, you can apply other filters and features to a video in FaceTime calls on your iPhone. Here’s how.

1. Start a FaceTime call on your iPhone.
2. Tap the box where your video appears. This will enlarge and center your video box.
3. Tap the star icon located at the bottom left corner of your screen, and a new menu will show up along the bottom of your screen.
4. In the new menu you will see options to add your Memoji, filters, text and more to your FaceTime call. Tap into each option to explore and get your video to look the way you want.
5. Tap the video around your video box to close the menu. Your filters and effects will be applied.

To get rid of the filters and effects, follow the first three steps above. Once you hit the star icon, the filters and effects will be removed.

4. Create FaceTime Link on iPhone

This FaceTime trick allows iPhone users to create meeting links and share them with Apple, Android, and Windows users. The only requirement for Android or Windows users is that they must be using the latest version of Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

When you create a new FaceTime link, you’ll have to allow people to join your meeting, but any Apple device user who’s been in the meeting for 30 seconds will also be able to let people in.

To create a FaceTime meeting link on your iPhone, follow the steps below:

1. Open the FaceTime app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Create Link near the top of the screen.
3. Choose an option for sending the link (Mail, Messages, and so on.

5. Switch Between The Front and The Rear camera in FaceTime Call

During a call in the FaceTime app , you can use a quick FaceTime trick to switch between cameras. Instead of turning your wrist around to try and show another angle to the person on the video chat, try flipping the video right from within your phone.

Most users might already know about this FaceTime trick; however, if you haven’t yet figured out how to do this, then we’ve got you covered. Here’s how:

1. When you’re on a FaceTime call, tap your tile, then tap the Flip to Back Camera button.
2. To switch back to the front camera, tap the Flip to Back Camera button again.

6. Turn off your camera in FaceTime Call

If you FaceTime a lot, chances are you’ve ended up in situations where you’re not quite ready for a video call. In that case, you may want to use this cool FaceTime trick to turn off your camera during the call until you’re ready to show your face. Or maybe you just need some temporary privacy while on a call.

Here’s how to turn your camera on or off during FaceTime call on your iPhone:

1. When you’re on a FaceTime call, tap the screen to make the controls appear.
2. Tap the Camera On button. (Tap it again to turn the camera back on.)

7. Remove Background Noise During a FaceTime Call on iPhone

Trying to make a FaceTime call in a noisy environment? Whether it’s a loud cafe or busy traffic, you can use a FaceTime trick to filter background noise on your iPhone.

Most FaceTime calls we make using an iPhone are from home, the office, or an outside environment with several kinds of background noise. You might be surrounded by the sound of a fan, air conditioning, cars, kids, appliances, pets, and so on. Thankfully, this hidden FaceTime trick will let you filter out or reduce ambient noise, thus emphasizing your voice.

Please note: only iPhones with an A12 Bionic processor and later, running iOS 15 or later, support Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modes. This includes:

• iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max.
• iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2020)
• iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max
• iPhone XS and XS Max
• iPhone XR

Here’s how to use Voice Isolation on FaceTime calls to get cleaner audio with unnecessary sounds filtered:

1. During a FaceTime call, open Control Center. . To do this, on iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right of the screen. And on an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap Mic Mode.
3. Select Voice Isolation to minimize or block out the ambient noise. Tap anywhere in an empty area to return to the FaceTime screen.

8. Include The Sounds Around You in FaceTime Call

When you want your voice and all the sounds around you to be heard in a FaceTime call, you can turn on Wide Spectrum mode (available on the above mentioned iPhone models.

1. During a FaceTime call, launch Control Center. On iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the upper-right of the screen. And on an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap Mic Mode.
3. Select Wide Spectrum to keep or enhance the ambient noise. Tap anywhere in an empty area to return to the FaceTime screen.

9. Turn Off The Sound During FaceTime Call

There are a bunch of reasons why you might want to mute the mic during a FaceTime video call or FaceTime Audio call. Maybe you need to speak to another person you’re with and don’t want the person you’re calling to hear. Or you might need to briefly turn off the sound for the call, so it doesn’t disturb people around you.

When your sound is turned off, your mic detects whether you’re speaking, and you’re notified that your mic is muted and that you can tap the Mute On button to unmute it.

1. When you’re on a FaceTime call, tap the screen to show the FaceTime controls (if they aren’t visible).
2. Tap the Mute Off button to turn the sound off.
3. To unmute yourself, tap the button again.

There is no direct way to mute the person you’re calling through the FaceTime app. However, there are some workarounds that can achieve the same effect.

1. If you’re making a FaceTime call on your iPhone, you can stop the other person’s sound by plugging your headphones into your iPhone.
2. You may still be able to hear the call coming faintly from your headphones, but the volume will be very low.
3. When you want the call to continue as normal, simply unplug the headphones from your iPhone.

10. Share Your Screen in FaceTime Call on iPhone

You can share your screen with others in a FaceTime call to look at photos, browse the web, or help each other out.

Please Note: In order to share a screen, everyone on the call needs to be running iOS or iPadOS 15.1 or later or a Mac running MacOS Monterey 12.1 or later. Please also note, you can’t share any content that requires a subscription or purchase.

1. Launch the FaceTime app on your iPhone and start a FaceTime call.
2. When you are ready to share your screen, tap the Share Content button at the top of the screen.
3. In the pop-up, tap Share My Screen. . You’ll see a short countdown and then your screen will be shared.
4. You can now display any app or content you like. Everyone will now be able to see what you see on your iPhone.

11. Hand off a FaceTime Call to Another Device

You know those times when you answer a FaceTime call outdoors and then reach home and feel like switching to your Mac or iPad? With this FaceTime trick, you don’t need to hang up and start a new call from the other device. You can simply hand off the call to your other device without interrupting the call.

When you hand off a call, your connected Bluetooth headset transitions to the new device simultaneously.

• Make sure your iPhone/iPad/Mac devices are paired to the same Apple ID account and running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, or later.
• Ensure that Handoff is enabled in the General Settings of your devices (it’s on by default).
• Check your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi toggles and confirm that they’re enabled on all of your devices.

Now, follow the steps below:

1. Make sure your other device is turned on, then tap the screen that’s showing the call.
2. A notification of the call appears on the Lock Screen (or in Notification Center) of the other device, along with the suggestion “Move call to this [device].”
3. Tap the notification to switch the call, or tap the Video Handoff button at the top left of the screen, then tap the Switch button.
4. A preview of the call appears, showing your camera, microphone, and audio settings.
5. Make sure the camera, microphone, and audio settings are the ones you want, then tap the Switch button.
6. The call moves to the new device. On the original device, a banner appears confirming that the call was continued elsewhere, along with the Switch button, which you can tap if you want to bring the call back.

12. Use Spatial Audio in FaceTime

Spatial Audio in FaceTime makes it sound like your friends and family are in the room with you. Their voices are spread out and sound like they’re coming from the direction in which each person is positioned on the screen, helping conversations flow more naturally.

Please note, Spatial Audio is supported on iPhone XR, iPhone XS models and later, AirPods Gen 3, AirPods Pro, AirPods Pro Gen 2, and AirPods Max, plus the Apple-owned Beats Fit Pro.

If you own any of these products and you’ve enabled spatial audio within Settings > [Product Name] in iOS, you should get spatial audio within FaceTime automatically.

13. Turn on Live Captions in a FaceTime Call

While you’re on a video call in the FaceTime app, you can turn on Live Captions to see the conversation transcribed on the screen. With speaker attribution, it’s easier to follow along with the conversation. displayed in real time on your iPhone. The feature is handy during FaceTime calls, where it may be challenging to hear.

All you need is an iPhone 11 or newer, when the primary language is set to English (U.S.) or English (Canada).

1. During a FaceTime video call, tap the screen to show the FaceTime controls (if they aren’t visible).
2. Tap the Info button at the top of the controls.
3. Turn on Live Captions.
4. Tap Done and the spoken conversations will be displayed in written text at the bottom of the screen.

To stop showing the conversation on the screen, follow the steps below:

1. Tap the screen.
2. Tap the Info button at the top of the FaceTime controls.
3. Turn off Live Captions.

14. Start a Group FaceTime Call With Up To 32 People

Still chatting with just one person on FaceTime? That’s old-school. Since 2018, Apple’s video call tool has supported chatting with up to 32 people. Using the FaceTime or Messages app, you can call multiple people at once or add all your friends to an existing call.

1. In FaceTime, tap New FaceTime near the top of the screen.
2. Type the names or numbers of the people you want to call in the entry field at the top.
3. You can also tap the Add Contact button to open Contacts and add people from there. Or tap suggested contacts in your call history.
4. Tap the FaceTime button to make a video call or tap the Call button to make a FaceTime audio call.

Your Favorite FaceTime Tips and Tricks?

We hope the above tips and tricks will enhance your user experience with FaceTime on your iPhone. What are your favorite FaceTime tips and tricks? Drop a comment and let us know.