Apple debuts slick new Group FaceTime feature supporting up to 32 participants

AppleInsider · June 4, 2018 6:19PM

FaceTime is receiving its first major update in years -- on both iOS devices and Macs -- with long overdue support for group video calls and even fun effects.

Users can now join calls with up to 32 participants, a feature competitors have had for years. A carousel along the bottom shows all participants, while those talking are brought into the majority of the screen. Individual windows can be brought full-screen as well.

Effects such as stickers and the just-announced Memoji can be applied in real time during the call for a more fun experience.

It will work not only on iOS 12, but macOS as well. Calls can be answered right on the Apple Watch, before jumping over to the video FaceTime call on your iPhone or iPad.

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fallenjt · June 4, 2018 6:25PM

The ultimate video calling app...has been waiting for so long!!!

StrangeDays · June 4, 2018 6:26PM

Intriguing. This could be great for remote teams needing to chat. Currently using other apps for this but this could be more useful.

Rayz2016 · June 4, 2018 6:35PM

Thirty-two people??

😱

Is this for riot-planning?

nht · June 4, 2018 6:36PM

I wonder if they will have an API so our Meeting Owl can work with FaceTime...

LukeCage · June 4, 2018 6:44PM

I heard for the longest time the the reason why FaceTime was never updated was because of patents and how many companies had some patent that they would used against Apple. I wonder what changed, I’m pretty sure no matter what Apple does someone one will sue them for FaceTime. I can’t wait to see how many people I can get to FaceTime with me at once now.

Soli · June 4, 2018 7:13PM

32 people sounds like Apple will be moving toward supporting businesses and schools with this feature.

I see in the beta downloads there's an app called Classroom. I wonder if that's an included feature. If that was in the keynote I missed it.

CheeseFreeze · June 4, 2018 7:15PM

32 people sounds like Apple will be moving toward supporting businesses and schools with this feature.

Without screen sharing like Zoom and the lack of cross-platform availability I doubt business will consider using it. This is clearly for consumers.

StrangeDays · June 4, 2018 7:18PM

CheeseFreeze said:

32 people sounds like Apple will be moving toward supporting businesses and schools with this feature.

Without screen sharing like Zoom and the lack of cross-platform availability I doubt business will consider using it. This is clearly for consumers.

Define business. For small dev shops running macOS, this fits a need.

fastasleep · June 4, 2018 7:57PM

Soli said:

32 people sounds like Apple will be moving toward supporting businesses and schools with this feature.

I see in the beta downloads there's an app called Classroom. I wonder if that's an included feature. If that was in the keynote I missed it.

They covered Classroom at the education event earlier this year.

entropys · June 4, 2018 8:36PM

This is great. It really is. Next, screen sharing and live file collaboration. Then we finally get back to an iChat equivalent.

Had another failed Skype for Business meeting just yesterday. The IT department insists we use it (MS product of course). On one of our externally funded projects we have purchased a licence for Zoom. So much more reliable than Skype, better bandwidth and sound management, let alone visual clarity.

edit:typo

fallenjt · June 4, 2018 8:50PM

CheeseFreeze said:

32 people sounds like Apple will be moving toward supporting businesses and schools with this feature.

Without screen sharing like Zoom and the lack of cross-platform availability I doubt business will consider using it. This is clearly for consumers.

Wrong! It’s all about security. Was BB a cross-platforms?

danvm · June 4, 2018 9:03PM

entropys said:

This is great. It really is. Next, screen sharing and live file collaboration. Then we finally get back to an iChat equivalent.

Had another failed Skype for Business meeting just yesterday. The IT department insists we use it (MS product of course). On one of our externally funded projects we have purchased a licence for Zoom. So much more reliable than Skype, better bandwidth and sound management, let alone visual clarity.

edit:typo

I had a different experience with Skype for Business in a meeting I had recently. We were +30 people from +7 countries with video and screen sharing. No issues at all.

Still, MS is moving from Skype for Business to Teams, which has a better experience.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/journey-skypeforbusiness-teams

nicholfd · June 4, 2018 9:06PM

entropys said:

This is great. It really is. Next, screen sharing and live file collaboration. Then we finally get back to an iChat equivalent.

You must not be aware that screen sharing is available in the Messages app on macOS for quite some time... https://support.apple.com/guide/messages/screen-sharing-icht11883/mac

nicholfd · June 4, 2018 9:10PM

entropys said:

This is great. It really is. Next, screen sharing and live file collaboration. Then we finally get back to an iChat equivalent.

You must not be aware that Screen Sharing has been in the Messages app on macOS for quite a while: https://support.apple.com/guide/messages/screen-sharing-icht11883/mac And collaboration with Numbers, Pages & Keynote have been there for at least a years: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206181

SpamSandwich · June 4, 2018 9:11PM

Not excited about that litterbox of a layout, but it's been forever since iChat had multi-party videoconferencing, so... I'll take whatever I can get at this point.

danvm · June 4, 2018 9:12PM

CheeseFreeze said:

32 people sounds like Apple will be moving toward supporting businesses and schools with this feature.

Without screen sharing like Zoom and the lack of cross-platform availability I doubt business will consider using it. This is clearly for consumers.

I think you are right. In addition, most business already have video solutions in the services they use daily, like Skype/Teams in Office 365, Hangouts Meet in G Suite or Slack Calls.

IreneW · June 4, 2018 9:21PM

StrangeDays said:

CheeseFreeze said:

32 people sounds like Apple will be moving toward supporting businesses and schools with this feature.

Without screen sharing like Zoom and the lack of cross-platform availability I doubt business will consider using it. This is clearly for consumers.

Define business. For small dev shops running macOS, this fits a need.

Unfortunately the Apple-only shops are extremely few, and there are several really potent cross-platform solutions. I'm afraid Apple's refusal to accept that there are other usable platforms limits their great software. Microsoft just recently accepted this fact and has delivered some surprisingly good apps lately.

drewys808 · June 4, 2018 10:39PM

Increased collaboration will be big for medical/health professionals...that is until most MDs are replaced by AI. 😉

SpamSandwich · June 4, 2018 10:41PM

drewys808 said:

Increased collaboration will be big for medical/health professionals...that is until most MDs are replaced by AI. 😉

Eagerly looking forward to all highly paid professionals to be replaced with A.I. and/or robots.

claire1 · June 5, 2018 5:30AM

Surprised they allowed Animoji. Seems Apple wanted to keep FaceTime looking serious in the past.

VERY VERY surprised they didn't announce ARKit support for FaceTime along with Animoji. With the iPhone X camera we could have been able to add backgrounds and effects like cars crashing and exploding in the background, space or boat cruising etc.

Apple debuts slick new Group FaceTime feature supporting up to 32 participants

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