Group FaceTime In iOS 12 Supports Up To 32 People

Group FaceTime is launching in iOS 12, bringing the ability to hold video conversations with multiple people at the same time. The new feature for Apple's video calling service will support up to 32 simultaneous Group FaceTime participants, in fact.

Starting group video calls will be as straightforward as starting individual calls. You'll be able to pick multiple contacts right in the FaceTime app, as before. However, Apple is also integrating FaceTime into the Messages app.

That way, if you already have an ongoing group text chat in Messages, you'll be able to launch a Group FaceTime call from that with a single tap. As usual, FaceTime calls work over WiFi or cellular data.

Since fitting up to 32 people on-screen at once could be somewhat tricky – even if the rumors of Apple releasing an even larger, iPhone X Plus smartphone later in the year come true – there's a new interface as well. Group FaceTime calls have a row of thumbnails for each contact running along the bottom of the screen. Apple is calling it the Roster.

The active participants float above, in different sized windows. As people speak, their window automatically grows in size. If someone else starts speaking, the layout adjusts to suit. Alternatively, you can pick a specific window to magnify by tapping the respective thumbnail in the Roster, overriding the automatic highlight.

In addition to regular video streaming, Apple is also integrating its live special effects and filters into Group FaceTime calls. That way you can add stickers or animations to your stream, overlay your face with an Animoji, or even use a new Memoji to replace your face with a digital version.

Apple will launch Group FaceTime calls on iOS 12, and it'll be supported on both iPhone and iPad. If you have an Apple Watch, meanwhile, you'll be able to answer Group Face Time calls, but only with audio.