To make the best of the current lockdown situation in 2020, video calling apps and features are here to help us through.
Whether you require FaceTime to make work calls or to keep in contact with friends or family, it’s a great feature from Apple.
There are many video calling apps available to use, but for ease-of-use for Apple customers, FaceTime is a no brainer.
FaceTime is something Apple users have been using for years. But it’s certainly grown in popularity in 2020.
So, what is the FaceTime group chat limit? Plus, we take a look at what to do if FaceTime isn’t working on iPad or Mac.
FaceTime group chat limit
Although it may have seemed that FaceTime provided just a one-to-one video calling service, you can actually have up to 32 people on a call.
The requirements to hold a FaceTime group call (as outlined by Apple) are as follows:
- iOS 12.1.4 or later.
- iPadOS on iPhone 6s or later, iPad Pro or later, iPad Air 2 or later, iPad mini 4 or later, iPad (5th generation) or later
- or iPod touch (7th generation).
Apple notes on its website that this feature isn’t available in all countries and regions. If you’re FaceTiming on a Mac please note that only four to nine live video tiles will show even if there are more participants in the chat depending on your Mac model.
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Group FaceTime on Mac not working
If you find that FaceTime isn’t working on your Mac, firstly check that your Mac is running on MacOS Mojave 10.14.3 onwards.
You may be required to sign in using your Apple ID to use FaceTime. If you’re having trouble signing in please follow the steps below.
Apple menu > System Preferences > Date & Time and select “Set date and time automatically” >Time Zone > Ensure settings are correct.
Now, you should be able to login correctly. From here, create a group FaceTime call using the FaceTime app or you can start a call from your group iMessages.
If FaceTime still isn’t working, close the FaceTime app. Re-open the app and see if a reboot has corrected the issue.
You can also reboot the entire Mac if FaceTime is still having issues. Go to the Apple menu, then click ‘Restart’.
To check where the issue lies, before opening FaceTime again, try opening another app which uses the camera. If the camera still doesn’t work with Photobooth, for example, the issue is the camera itself, rather than the FaceTime app.
A solid internet connection is important when making a video call to avoid any kind of lag or interruptions. If you suspect that your Wi-Fi isn’t working very well, try rebooting the internet hub. Then, once rebooted, try starting up FaceTime again.
Group FaceTime camera not working on iPad
It may seem that the camera isn’t working for some members of the group chat if there’s no video for them. However, if you’re using an earlier model of iPad running on iOS 12.1.4 you can only participate in the chat using audio.
If you’re seeing a triangle surrounding an exclamation mark while on FaceTime, this relates to connectivity issues. Video may cut out if the Wi-Fi or internet signal isn’t strong enough. Try using cellular data rather than a home Wi-Fi connection to see if that helps.
If you’ve ensured that you and the FaceTime participants are running on the relevant OS and have a strong internet connection, please run through the following.
- Check that no-one is set to ‘audio only’ accidently. To turn on the camera, click the camera icon.
- Make sure that FaceTime is turned on and you’re signed in using your Apple ID. To turn on FaceTime and log in on your iPad, please follow the steps below.
Settings > FaceTime > Use Apple ID for FaceTime > Sign in with Apple ID.
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