iOS 12 has so far proven to be outstanding assortment of features which provide a great boon to both iPad and iPhone users. Such improvements, which include screen Time, Siri suggestions among many other features but the most notable has to be the Group FaceTime which recently been introduced in iOS 12.1.
Group FaceTime lets you connect over video chat with multiple people to a maximum range of 32 individuals. This is quite impressive as you can establish such a connection all at the same time with all your Apple Devices; Mac, iPad, and iPhone. To establish a successful video connection all users must upgrade their operating systems to the current iOS 12. Failure to do so will limit their iDevices to only FaceTime Audio. Apple always makes it easy to upgrade and now the 12.1 iOS version is accessible by a simple navigation procedure. Scroll to settings function and choose the General option. Navigate to the Software update and select on the most recent update to initiate the download. Make sure that your device is adaptable to the iOS 12.1.
Once this is done, navigate over to your FaceTime app and launch it. On the right corner select the plus sign and you will be presented with the option to input any contact you would like to indulge in FaceTime. The plus sign can also direct you to the contact list in the phone for you to select preferred contacts. After the selection, select the green function located below to initiate an audio or video call. As the phone establishes a connection the names of the contacts selected will display on the screen waiting for their response.
Even with an active call, the application presents you with multiple options accessible to you by swiping on the screen. By this action you can incorporate special effects, the camera can also be flipped from this point and also muting the conversation ending the call. If you want to focus on any given contact you can expand their window which does not reflect on their end. Swiping to the menu bar you can access more options such as switching the camera off or even including more contacts into the conversation. If you cancel the connection from your end accidentally, you do not have to wait for other participants to re-add you for you can do it yourself by selecting the conversation from the FaceTime recent history. The group chat application is also available for the Apple Watch users using WatchOS 5.1.1 but only for audio sessions.
Setting up Group FaceTime with iMessage App
To establish a successful connection via iMessage navigate to the contacts located at the very top of the applicationโs window. Select on the FaceTime option to launch a call. If you disconnect by mistake you may rejoin the chat by selecting the join option presented in the iMessage thread. You will also be notified every time any participant leaves the conversation and all the group activity will be stored in the history for your convenience.
Incorporating Stickers, Filters, and Animojis in Group FaceTime
Apple has integrated special effects in Group FaceTime which are also available via iMessage for the iOS 12. These are very applicable to creating fun moments that are memorable. To access these you only need to swipe in an upward motion from the bottom of your screen to reveal the menu window. From here you can select the effects icon which will present you with a rich variety to choose. This will present the default Animojis, stickers and filters and all other special effects that you may have downloaded.