- #How to use facetime on mac to call friends iphone mac os x#
- #How to use facetime on mac to call friends iphone download#
Two-way video calling has never been so much fun… SummaryįaceTime is undoubtedly a very well-implemented and slick video calling app which works seamlessly between Apple devices and the Mac. If the iPhone user rotates their phone the display also expands to match the sideways-on aspect ratio as shown below. The FaceTime window can be resized or even switched to fullscreen mode. the Mute, End Call and Fullscreen buttons) disappear, but fade in again if you hover over the window again.Īs you can see from the screenshot below, it’s possible to have a video call between 2 people with call quality at least as good as Skype on this call the connection was very stable throughout. If you move your mouse away from the call, the controls (i.e. Once the call is connected, your own video image is shown as as a small window overlaid on the main display. Thankfully, FaceTime doesn’t require masses of bandwidth and the quality can be very good with a low delay. Once the other party answers the call, within a few seconds you’ll receive a live video and audio feed but the quality depends largely on your network connection and bandwidth. FaceTime can’t make you appear more attractive…perhaps in the next version? Note that to use FaceTime, iOS users must be on a WiFi network (it’s currently disabled over mobile networks, unfortunately). When the call starts, the list of contacts disappears and you’re left with a clean, uncluttered interface while it dials the other party. In this example, I’ll call my friend “Gary” (last name hidden to save his embarrassment at being caught unawares)… Click on a contact to make a two-way video call Click once on a contact’s email to start a FaceTime call. There are additional tabs at the bottom for Favourites and Recents.
Select any of your contacts and their details will appear on the right along with the phone number and email address. All your Address Book contacts are shown in FaceTime The righthand panel lists or your contacts directly from the Address Book. You can’t however just dial anybody because they might not have FaceTime switched on or they may be on another type of phone. Make sure FaceTime is turned on Making a Video CallįaceTime uses your Address Book contacts to make calls. This allows you to make FaceTime calls, but even if you quit the app it means you can still receive calls. Under Preferences there’s a slider to enable it as shown below. Be warned – you might initially be shocked at how bad you look on camera… Setup FaceTime with your email addressįaceTime needs to be on to be able to receive calls. Enter the relevant details and proceed to the next screen. When the main window opens, you’ll initially be prompted to enter your Apple ID (your email address) that you want to be contacted on. FaceTime can be found in your Applications folder once installed
Once you’ve purchased, downloaded and installed FaceTime, launch it from your Applications folder or Mission Control (pictured below) or simply type its name into Spotlight. What it doesn’t support however is the ability to call landlines and mobiles, and there are no subscription options either.
#How to use facetime on mac to call friends iphone mac os x#
In comparison, both apps are actually quite similar, but FaceTime is more tightly integrated into Mac OS X and the interface is much nicer and less fussy. Nevertheless, it gives you the ability to make high quality video calls over the Internet, much in the same way that Skype does.
#How to use facetime on mac to call friends iphone download#
FaceTime is currently not free for the Mac – it’s a very reasonable 69p download available from the Mac App Store.