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How to do a group FaceTime video or voice call on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac

Vivian McCall   

How to do a group FaceTime video or voice call on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac
Tech3 min read
  • You can start a group FaceTime and make calls with up to 32 other Apple devices.
  • iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Mac users can all hop on the same group FaceTime calls.
  • FaceTime is exclusively an Apple app, so PC and Android users can't join.

FaceTime is Apple's video calling app installed in its Macs, iPhones, and iPads.

FaceTime is like Google Hangouts or Zoom, but it only works between Apple devices, so you can't FaceTime your friend with an Android or PC. For this reason, it's good to have access to other platforms.

But it doesn't matter which Apple device you use to hop on a FaceTime call. Users of iPhone, iPad, and Mac can all join the same chats because the app is basically the same across all platforms.

Starting a group call on FaceTime takes only a few seconds, or minutes, depending on how many people you are adding to the call; groups can be as large as 32 devices. You can also join an existing group FaceTime call.

How to start a group FaceTime on iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch

Group FaceTime calls are easier to start than group audio calls because you can call everyone at once instead of having to wait while merging calls.

  1. Open FaceTime.
  2. Tap the plus sign "+" icon in the top-right corner of the screen.

  3. Search for your friend's names in your address book or enter the number in the search field.

  4. Tap "Audio" or "Video" to start the call.


How to start a group FaceTime with members of an existing group chat

  1. Open your Messages app and go to your group chat.
  2. Tap the participants at the top of the screen and hit the FaceTime icon.

How to add people to a FaceTime call that's already started

  1. Tap the screen so a menu appears at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Swipe up on this menu to make it larger, and find the "Add Person" option. It'll be under the list of people already on the call.

  3. Tap "Add Person," and search for the person (or people) you want to add using their name, phone number, or email.
  4. Once you've found them, tap their name and then the green "Add Person to FaceTime" button. They'll receive an invite immediately.

How to start a group FaceTime on Mac

If your Mac and iPhone use the same Apple ID, all calls made to your number are answerable on either device. All you have to do is open FaceTime on your computer, click "Preferences" and check the box next to "Calls from iPhone."

If you're a Mac user, we recommend syncing your phone's address book to your computer. That way you won't have to manually enter two or more phone numbers when starting a call.

  1. Open FaceTime.
  2. Search for your friend's names or enter their numbers into the search field.
  3. Click "Audio" or "Video" to start the call.

How to add people to a FaceTime call that's already started on Mac

  1. Hover your mouse over the FaceTime window so buttons appear at the bottom, and click the leftmost button.

  2. A menu will appear from the left side of the window. Click "Add Person" under the list of current participants.

  3. Find the person (or people) you want to add using their name, phone number, or email, and then click the green "Add" button. They'll be called immediately.

How to join a group FaceTime

If a contact starts a group FaceTime, there are a few ways to join the call:

  • Once someone has called, you can tap the notification on your lock screen to join.
  • If the call has been made in a group message, you can tap the join icon that appears in your chat.
  • You can join the call in FaceTime by opening the app and pressing the green video chat icon.
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