FaceTime gets more fun and flexible with iOS 17

Photo: Apple

Apple has announced a slew of new features for FaceTime in iOS 17, the latest version of its iPhone operating system. FaceTime users can enjoy more ways to communicate, express themselves, and connect with their loved ones on the big screen. Here are some of the highlights of the new FaceTime features:

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Apple FaceTime improvements focus on looks, audio, and group calls

Apple

Apple's newest improvements to its FaceTime app will have it working more like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. The company is bringing scheduled calls that can even be accessed by Android and Windows PCs via the browser. It gets a grid view if you want to see most or all of the people in the call.

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iOS 13 remedies FaceTime eye contact issue

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FaceTime calls or video calls are seen as a more intimate way to talk to someone. It’s also a good professional tool. But the intimacy gets lost in a bit as you can’t exactly look the person in the eye because you tend to look at the person you’re talking to on the screen instead of at the camera. And so, iOS 13 is hoping to remedy this with the use of ARKit. A new “FaceTime Attention Correction” feature will give you some realistic-looking fake eye contact with the person you’re FaceTiming with. It maps your face and adjusts the positioning of your eyes accordingly. Since iOS 13 is in beta, we don’t know yet how this feature will work or whether it’ll support group calls. For those using the public beta, you might be able to try this out in the coming week.

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Apple delaying FaceTime Group chat feature for later this fall

The much heralded FaceTime Group chat feature, which promises a group chat with up to 32 people simultaneously will not be inclided in iOS 12 when that OS rolls out in a few months. Apple made the statement today saying “Group FaceTime has been removed from the initial release of iOS 12 and will ship in a future software update later this fall,” Apple notes in the release notes for iOS 12 Beta 7, which is heading out to private beta testers today."

It's not uncommon for companies to highlight hot new features to help drive developer and user interest and then shelve the feature when it looks like it won't be ready for shipping time. Many peer-to-peer chat applications offer similar group chat functionality which makes sense in a desktop environment but looks very busy on a smartphone.

Source: Thurrott.com