Everything New in FaceTime
Here’s how WWDC21 took FaceTime to the next level
WWDC21 revealed Apple’s next major software updates including iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15. Also, we could see Apple brought new features to their existing apps to help people work collaboratively. This should be appreciated because people had to work away from their offices and stick to their home desk setups because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, Apple’s new concept which focuses more on collaborating is really helpful for the users.
There are new features that Apple brought from this year’s WWDC but in this article, I talk about only the FaceTime app and its new features. Let’s see what’s new in FaceTime.
1. Spacial Audio in FaceTime
This year Apple has decided to bring Spacial Audio to FaceTime and lets you feel all your video calls are more natural than before. So, when you’re in a group call, you will hear your friends’ voices come from different parts of the room and it feels like you’re having a more natural face-to-face conversation. This would be really great and if you’ve already had this experience with your Apple AirPods Pro via the Music app, you know how awesome it would be when it comes to real-life conversations.
2. More powerful mic in FaceTime
Voice is really important in a video call. As we know Apple microphone is really good at picking up users’ sound and making it audible in the video call. This year Apple brought a new update to the FaceTime microphone and it provides a clearer voice than before. As a user, you will basically get three options such as Standard, Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum in the mic mode.
So, when you’re in a FaceTime call, you can tap the mic mode button and get access to these 3 options.
Voice Isolation mode helps you to isolate your voice from the background voices and pick it up as the prominent voice and let others hear it clear. Wide Spectrum mode as Apple says will pick up an entire symphony of sound which means your voice and the other voices around you. When you need to turn off either mode, you can select the Standard in the mic mode.
3. Grid View in FaceTime
The new FaceTimes comes with the Grid View where you can see all your friends in the same sized tiles. But this indicates clearly the person who speaks at the time and lets you see others responses as well. When you’re in a FaceTime call, you can enable the Grid View by simply tapping the Grid Layout option.
4. Most beautiful Portrait Mode
Portrait mode pictures are really amazing in iPhones. If you’re more into taking selfies using your iPhone, you know how good this feature is. This year Apple has decided to bring Portrait Mode to FaceTime which is really cool. As you see in the Camera app, FaceTime is now capable of blurring your background and putting more focus on you while you’re in a FaceTime calls.
5. Schedule calls with FaceTime Links
I personally love this feature a lot. Even though you’re into FaceTime a lot you cannot FaceTime with your friends who don’t have Apple devices. But with FaceTime links, now you have the option to FaceTime with friends who don’t have Apple devices. How does this possible?
Before this feature was released, we used to open the FaceTime app and select the person we need to contact and then start the call. But this new FaceTime comes with a brand new user interface and allows users to schedule calls via FaceTime Links. To schedule a FaceTime call, all you have to do is, tap the Create link button and generate a link for your call. Then you can share the link via Messages, Email or even via Whatsapp. Then your friends and the other users who don’t have Apple devices can join the call through their Android or Windows device browser.
This conversation is end-to-end encrypted so that you don’t have to worry about your data and privacy.
6. SharePlay in FaceTime
Apple’s new SharePlay allows you to listen to music together, watch movies together and share your screen with your friends while you’re in a FaceTime call. You can start listening to a song through the Music app while you’re in a FaceTime call and it will be real-time synchronised with others. Your friends will be able to add songs to the shared queue and will have the control to play, pause songs or skip to the next tracks.
Also, while you’re on a FaceTime call, you can start watching a movie via a streaming service and your friends will be able to watch it together. Even you’re watching it together you can enable picture-in-picture and go for web browsing, messaging or any other sort of work. This is actually the next level of multi-tasking. Also, you can extend your movie to an Apple Tv and watch it on a bigger screen. How cool that is.
SharePlay allows you to share your screen with friends while you’re in a FaceTime call. This feature is really great and it will allow you to bring different apps to a FaceTime Call. This works on not only iPhones but also MacBooks and iPads.
Conclusion
All these new features in FaceTime will help you to stay connected and work collaboratively with your friends and peers. This is really a good move to future innovations and Apple has been able to take its apps to the next level. Apple’s new software updates will be released most probably in September or October to the public and all Apple users are anticipating to have them sooner for their devices. We can experience these new FaceTime features when the new updates are available (Apple’s developer betas are already out and public betas are yet to come).
Thanks for reading.
