Video calls have become very common today, mainly because most of the masses have a smartphone featuring a good-quality front camera and a reliable internet connection. Besides this, it is an excellent way of connecting with friends, family members, and acquaintances who live in different parts of the world. Thanks to the popularity of video calls, there are tons of video-calling applications and tools readily available on all major platforms. According to The Verge, there are numerous top-tier free video calling applications readily available for users. Some popular video calling applications used by millions of people include Zoom, Skype, Viber, etc.
As opposed to other companies, Apple believes in offering all the best features to its massive base of users in the form of native apps and features. The case is no different when offering users a robust app for video calling. FaceTime is Apple’s native video calling application that many consider to be one of the best video calling tools available. FaceTime has been around for ten years and has featured numerous upgrades. The latest version of FaceTime features numerous new additions, most of which will be covered in this article. Let us dive right into it:
#1 Watch Content Together With Others Using SharePlay
The latest iOS 15 update has brought a plethora of new features to FaceTime, out of which SharePlay is one of the most prominent ones. It facilitates users to do more on video calls and with other participants present on the call. Using the SharePlay feature of the new FaceTime, iOS 15 users can indulge in numerous activities with their friends or family members. For instance, they can conveniently watch movies or TV series together, enjoy podcasts, listen to music, etc. Besides this, the feature is also available on the latest macOS Monterey update, which further enhances the base of Apple users who can avail of this feature and use it to improve their video calling experience. Numerous native apps of iOS and macOS offer support for the new screen-sharing feature. Besides this, multiple third-party applications are compatible with SharePlay. It is a truly great feature that facilitates users to enjoy quality time together over video calls.
#2 Record FaceTime Calls on Your iPhone or Mac.
If you own an iPhone or Mac and are wondering how can you record a FaceTime calls on either one of your devices, there are numerous ways following which you can do so. On macOS, even though you cannot record a FaceTime call using native features, you can record FaceTime calls using the native QuickTime Player. All you need to do is open the app, navigate to the “New Screen Recording” option present in the File menu, and click on the “Select to Record Entire Screen” option. Once you have finished recording, click on the stop icon present in the application’s menu bar. Besides this, you can also use Capto, a powerful third-party macOS-compatible screen recording utility that facilitates users to capture both the screen’s audio and video.
If you wish to record a FaceTime call on your iPhone, you can connect the smartphone to your Mac using a lightning cable and the QuickTime player to get the job done. If you do not want to record the audio of the FaceTime call, you can use the native screen recording feature of iOS to capture your FaceTime call’s video and save it effectively.
#3 Share Your iPhone or Mac’s Screen.
Besides offering features using which users can watch movies on a FaceTime call or enjoy music, the latest FaceTime update also facilitates users to share their screen with everyone present on a FaceTime call. This feature significantly helps users in numerous ways. For instance, if you wish to share a document with many people without sharing it, you can use the screen sharing feature to show them the document without sending it over. Besides this, the feature also comes in handy if you want to plan a trip with your friends, look at photos, choose a product online, etc.
#4 Enhance Your Viewing Experience By Using the Grid View and Portrait Mode Features
If you use FaceTime frequently to attend video calls with colleagues, friends, or family members, the latest Grid View feature of FaceTime can significantly enhance your experience. You can use the feature to organize every other participant’s window into same-sized tiles. Moreover, the feature automatically highlights the person who is speaking. Hence, this feature puts FaceTime on par with all other video conferencing applications. Besides this, the Portrait Mode of FaceTime blurs your background and shifts all the focus on you, which is a great feature that prevents others from focusing on you and not on the background.
FaceTime is used by millions of Apple users daily for a top-notch video-conferencing experience. If you own an Apple device and wish to video call people, the latest version of FaceTime offers tons of exciting features, as mentioned above, that can genuinely provide an enriching experience.
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