Update Facetime On Mac



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macOS Big Sur elevates the most advanced desktop operating system in the world to a new level of power and beauty. Experience Mac to the fullest with a refined new design. Enjoy the biggest Safari update ever. Discover new features for Maps and Messages. Get even more transparency around your privacy.

Chances are your Mac can run macOS Big Sur

If you installed firewall, security, VPN, or other third-party networking software, make sure that the software isn't blocking any of the network ports used by iMessage and FaceTime. If necessary, disable the software and then try using your iMessage account or FaceTime again.

The following models are supported:

  • MacBook (2015 or later)
  • MacBook Air (2013 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (Late 2013 or later)
  • Mac mini (2014 or later)
  • iMac (2014 or later)
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)
  • Mac Pro (2013 or later)

To see which model you have, click the Apple icon in your menu bar and choose About This Mac.

Make sure you’re ready to upgrade.

Before you upgrade, we recommend that you back up your Mac. If your Mac is running OS X Mavericks 10.9 or later, you can upgrade directly to macOS Big Sur. You’ll need the following:

  • OS X 10.9 or later
  • 4GB of memory
  • 35.5GB of available storage on macOS Sierra or later*
  • Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
  • Some features require a compatible internet service provider; fees may apply.

Upgrading is free and easy

Upgrading from macOS Catalina 10.15 or Mojave 10.14?

Go to Software Update in System Preferences to find macOS Big Sur. Click Upgrade Now and follow the onscreen instructions.

Upgrading from an older version of macOS?

If you’re running any release from macOS 10.13 to 10.9, you can upgrade to macOS Big Sur from the App Store. If you’re running Mountain Lion 10.8, you will need to upgrade to El Capitan 10.11 first.

If you don’t have broadband access, you can upgrade your Mac at any Apple Store.

  • OS X 10.9 or later
  • 4GB of memory
  • 35.5GB of available storage on macOS Sierra or later*
  • Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
  • Some features require a compatible internet service provider; fees may apply.

For details about your Mac model, click the Apple icon at the top left of your screen and choose About This Mac. These Mac models are compatible with macOS Big Sur:

  • MacBook (2015 or later)
  • MacBook Air (2013 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (Late 2013 or later)
  • Mac mini (2014 or later)
  • iMac (2014 or later)
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)
  • Mac Pro (2013 or later)

Siri

Requires a broadband internet connection and microphone (built-in or external).

Hey Siri

Supported by the following Mac models:

  • MacBook Pro (2018 or later)
  • MacBook Air (2018 or later)
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)

Dictation, Voice Control and Voice Memos

Requires a microphone (built-in or external).

Spotlight Suggestions

Requires a broadband internet connection.

Gestures

Requires a Multi-Touch trackpad, Force Touch trackpad, Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse.

Force Touch gestures require a Force Touch trackpad.

VoiceOver gestures require a Multi-Touch trackpad, Force Touch trackpad or Magic Trackpad.

Photo Booth

Requires a FaceTime or iSight camera (built-in or external) or USB video class (UVC) camera.

FaceTime

Audio calls require a microphone (built-in or external) and broadband internet connection.

Video calls require a built-in FaceTime camera, an iSight camera (built-in or external) or a USB video class (UVC) camera; and broadband internet connection.

Apple TV

High dynamic range (HDR) video playback is supported by the following Mac models:

  • MacBook Pro (2018 or later)
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)
  • Mac Pro (2019) with Pro Display XDR

Dolby Atmos soundtrack playback is supported by the following Mac models:

  • MacBook Air (2018 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (2018 or later)

Sidecar

Supported by the following Mac models:

  • MacBook (2016 or later)
  • MacBook Air (2018 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (2016 or later)
  • Mac mini (2018 or later)
  • iMac (late 2015 or later)
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)
  • Mac Pro (2019)

Supported by all iPad models with Apple Pencil support:

  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro
  • 11-inch iPad Pro
  • 10.5-inch iPad Pro
  • 9.7-inch iPad Pro
  • iPad (6th generation or later)
  • iPad mini (5th generation)
  • iPad Air (3rd and 4th generation)

Continuity Camera

Requires an iPhone or iPad that supports iOS 12 or later.

Continuity Sketch and Continuity Markup

Requires an iPhone with iOS 13 or later or an iPad with iPadOS 13 or later.

Handoff

Requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector or with USB‑C and iOS 8 or later.

Instant Hotspot

Requires an iPhone or iPad with cellular connectivity, a Lightning connector or USB‑C and iOS 8.1 or later. Requires Personal Hotspot service through your network provider.

Universal Clipboard

Requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector or with USB‑C and iOS 10 or later.

Auto Unlock

Requires an Apple Watch with watchOS 3 or later or an iPhone 5 or later.

Approve with Apple Watch

Requires an Apple Watch with watchOS 6 or later or an iPhone 6s or later with iOS 13 or later.

Apple Pay on the Web

Requires a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air with Touch ID, an iPhone 6 or later with iOS 10 or later, or an Apple Watch with watchOS 3 or later.

Phone Calling

Requires an iPhone with iOS 8 or later and an activated data plan.

SMS

Requires an iPhone with iOS 8.1 or later and an activated data plan.

Home

Requires an iPhone with iOS 12 or later and a configured Home app.

AirDrop

AirDrop to iOS and iPadOS devices requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector or with USB‑C and iOS 7 or later.

AirPlay

AirPlay Mirroring requires an Apple TV (2nd generation or later).

AirPlay for web video requires an Apple TV (2nd generation or later).

Peer-to-peer AirPlay requires a Mac (2012 or later) and an Apple TV (3rd generation rev A, model A1469 or later) with Apple TV software 7.0 or later.

Time Machine

Requires an external storage device (sold separately).

Maps electric vehicle routing

Requires an iPhone with iOS 14 and a compatible electric vehicle.

Maps number plate restrictions

Requires an iPhone running iOS 14 or an iPad running iPadOS 14.

Boot Camp

Allows Boot Camp installations of Windows 10 on supported Mac models.

Exchange Support

Requires Microsoft Office 365, Exchange 2016, Exchange 2013 or Exchange Server 2010. Installing the latest Service Packs is recommended.

Windows Migration

Supports OS X 10.7 or later and Windows 7 or later.

App Store

Available only to persons aged 13 or older in the US and many other countries and regions.

Photos

The improved Retouch tool is supported on the following Mac models:

  • MacBook Pro (15-inch and 16-inch models) introduced in 2016 or later
  • iMac (Retina 5K models) introduced in 2014 or later
  • iMac (Retina 4K models) introduced in 2017 or later
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)
  • Mac Pro introduced in 2013 or later
  • Apple Books
  • Apple News
  • App Store
  • Automator
  • Calculator
  • Calendar
  • Chess
  • Contacts
  • Dictionary
  • DVD Player
  • FaceTime
  • Find My
  • Font Book
  • Home
  • Image Capture
  • Launchpad
  • Mail
  • Maps
  • Messages
  • Mission Control
  • Music
  • Notes
  • Photo Booth
  • Photos
  • Podcasts
  • Preview
  • QuickTime Player
  • Reminders
  • Safari
  • Siri
  • Stickies
  • Stocks
  • System Preferences
  • TextEdit
  • Time Machine
  • TV
  • Voice Memos
  • Activity Monitor
  • AirPort Utility
  • Audio MIDI Setup
  • Bluetooth File Exchange
  • Boot Camp Assistant
  • ColorSync Utility
  • Console
  • Digital Colour Meter
  • Disk Utility
  • Grapher
  • Keychain Access
  • Migration Assistant
  • Screenshot
  • Screen Time
  • Script Editor
  • Sidecar
  • System Information
  • Terminal
  • VoiceOver Utility
  • Arabic
  • Catalan
  • Croatian
  • Simplified Chinese
  • Traditional Chinese
  • Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong)
  • Czech
  • Danish
  • Dutch
  • English (Australia)
  • English (UK)
  • English (US)
  • Finnish
  • French
  • French (Canada)
  • German
  • Greek
  • Hebrew
  • Hindi
  • Hungarian

How To Update Facetime On Macbook Pro

  • Indonesian
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Malay
  • Norwegian
  • Polish
  • Brazilian Portuguese
  • Portuguese
  • Romanian
  • Russian
  • Slovak
  • Spanish
  • Spanish (Latin America)
  • Swedish
  • Thai
  • Turkish
  • Ukrainian
  • Vietnamese

FaceTime User Guide

You can make a FaceTime call to one or more people who have a Mac, iOS device, or iPadOS device that meets these requirements. FaceTime calls use Wi-Fi or cellular data.

Ask Siri. Say something like:

  • “FaceTime mom”

  • “FaceTime audio [phone number]”

Learn how to ask Siri.

You can also make a phone call to anyone right from your Mac, using the cellular connection of your nearby iPhone. See Make and receive phone calls in FaceTime.

Make a FaceTime call

Update Facetime On Mac

  1. In the FaceTime app on your Mac, sign in and make sure FaceTime is turned on.

  2. In the field at the top of the FaceTime window, enter the email address or phone number of the person you want to call. You may need to press Return.

    If you have a card for the person in the Contacts app, you can just enter the person’s name. For information about adding contacts, see Add contacts while using FaceTime.

    Note: If you’re restricted to calls with only certain people, an hourglass icon appears next to those people you can’t call.

  3. To start the FaceTime call, click the Video button or the Audio button (or use the Touch Bar).

    If you click the Audio button and you’re set up to make phone calls on your Mac, you can choose whether to make a FaceTime audio call or a phone call. When you’re in an audio call or a phone call, the camera is automatically off.

  4. Once you’re on a call, you can change your view of the call, pause it, mute or change the volume for the call, or add more people to a FaceTime call.

If you make a video call that’s declined or unanswered, you can click the Message button to send the person an iMessage (both of you must be signed in to iMessage).

Make a Group FaceTime call

You can call up to 32 people at the same time in a Group FaceTime call. (See Group FaceTime requirements.)

Update Facetime On Mac

  1. In the FaceTime app on your Mac, sign in and make sure FaceTime is turned on.

  2. In the field at the top of the FaceTime window, enter the email address or phone number of the person you want to call. You may need to press Return.

    If you have a card for the person in the Contacts app, you can just enter the person’s name. For information about adding contacts, see Add contacts while using FaceTime.

    Note: If you’re restricted to calls with only certain people, an hourglass icon appears next to those people you can’t call.

  3. Repeat step 2 until all participants are listed.

  4. To start the FaceTime call, click the Video button or the Audio button (or use the Touch Bar).

    If you click the Audio button and you’re set up to make phone calls on your Mac, you can choose whether to make a FaceTime audio call or a phone call. When you’re on a FaceTime audio call or phone call, the camera is automatically off.

Each participant appears in a tile on the screen. When a participant speaks or you click a tile, that tile moves to the front and becomes more prominent. Tiles that can’t fit on the screen appear in a row at the bottom of the screen. To find a participant you don’t see, scroll through the row.

Tip: If you don’t want the tile of the person speaking to become larger, you can deselect the option in FaceTime preferences. Choose FaceTime > Preferences, click Settings, then deselect Speaking under Automatic Prominence.

To send an audible alert to a caller who hasn’t yet joined the call, click the Sidebar button , then click Ring.

Once you’re on a call, you can change your view of the call, pause it, or mute or change the volume for the call.

Add more people to a FaceTime call

When you’re on a FaceTime call, you can add more people to the call (up to a maximum of 32 other people) even if you didn’t start the call. (See Group FaceTime requirements.)

  1. In the FaceTime app on your Mac, make or participate in a FaceTime call or a Group FaceTime call.

  2. Click the Sidebar button .

  3. Click the Add Person button , then enter the email address or phone number of the person you want to call. If you have a card for the person in the Contacts app, you can just enter the person’s name.

    Note: If you’re restricted to calls with only certain people, an hourglass icon appears next to those people you can’t call.

  4. Click Add.

Each participant appears in a tile on the screen. When a participant speaks or you click a tile, that tile moves to the front and becomes more prominent. Tiles that can’t fit on the screen appear in a row at the bottom of the screen. To find a participant you don’t see, scroll through the row.

Tip: If you don’t want the tile of the person speaking to become larger, you can deselect the option in FaceTime preferences. Choose FaceTime > Preferences, click Settings, then deselect Speaking under Automatic Prominence.

How Do You Update Facetime On Mac

To send an audible alert to a caller who hasn’t yet joined the call, click the Sidebar button , then click Ring.

Once you’re on a call, you can change your view of the call, pause it, or mute or change the volume for the call.

End a call

In the FaceTime app on your Mac, do one of the following to end a call:

How To Update Facetime On Macbook Pro

  • End an audio call: Click the End button in the notification.

  • End a video call: Move the pointer over the call window, then click the End Call button (or use the Touch Bar).

    After you end a Group FaceTime call, it remains active until all participants leave the call. To rejoin it, click the Join Video button .

See alsoDelete your call history in FaceTime on MacChange FaceTime ringtones on MacReturn recent or missed FaceTime calls on MacApple Support article: If FaceTime isn’t working on your Mac