How to use Facetime

To use FaceTime to make calls:

1. Make sure you have FaceTime properly set up on your device.

Apple devices should come with this app installed, but you may need to make sure it is enabled first before using it. If you haven’t yet, check out our tutorial on how to set up FaceTime.

2. Open the FaceTime app.

Tap the FaceTime icon on your home screen to launch the app.

3. Type in the name, email address, or phone number of one of your contacts.

If you already have them saved in your phone, you can simply type their name and tap the suggestion when it appears. For anyone else, type their full email address or phone number.

4. Tap the Video Camera to make a video call, or the Phone to make a voice call.

By tapping the video camera button, the person you’re calling will be able to see you, and whatever you point your device’s camera at. By tapping the phone button, they will only be able to hear you – not see you – just like a regular phone call.

5. At the top of your screen, select Video or Audio to see your call history.

Tap either Audio or Video to see a list of calls you’ve made of each type. You can tap someone’s name in your call history to call them again.

You can also make a FaceTime call through your device’s address book, which we’ll explain how to do below.

Making FaceTime calls from contacts

1. Open the address book on your device.

Tap the contacts icon on your home screen to access your virtual address book.

2. Scroll through your contacts to find one of your friends who also has an Apple device.

Look through your list of contacts and find one of your friends that you know has an Apple device.

3. When you find their name in your address book, tap their name to open their contact information.

Once you’ve found the friend you want to call, tap their name on your screen.

4. Finally, tap the Video Camera icon to call that contact through FaceTime video chat.

To call your friend on FaceTime, tap the Video Camera below their name.

That’s how to call someone through their contact entry on your device. Next, we’re going to cover what a FaceTime call looks like, and what each of the buttons you’ll see are for.

Controls within a FaceTime call

Tap the Camera with Arrows to switch between cameras.

Tap the Microphone to mute/unmute your own audio.

Tap the Red Phone button to end the call.

3 tips for making FaceTime calls on iOS

1. Make sure the person you’re trying to call has an iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch).

Unfortunately, FaceTime is only available on Apple devices, so you won’t be able to call someone through the app if they have a different type of phone or tablet.

2. Connect to Wi-Fi before starting a video call, if you can.

To prevent yourself from accidentally using up a chunk of your data plan, connect your device to a Wi-Fi network (if you’re able to) before starting a video call through FaceTime.

3. Try to be patient while waiting for your friend to answer.

Sometimes, FaceTime calls can take a little bit to get properly connected. If your friend seems to be taking a while to answer, it could just be that your call is still connecting.

That’s it for our guide on how to use FaceTime on iPhone and iPad. We hope you found it helpful! Check out the rest of our Facetime course to learn more about how to use FaceTime, or our next article if you want to learn how to use it on a Mac. Leave us a comment below if you have any questions.