How to Set Up Use FaceTime for Mac

Want to FaceTime with friends, family, and co-workers from your Mac computer? It’s as easy as 1-2-3! This short guide explains how to to use FaceTime on a Mac to video chat with an iPhone 4 or later, iPad 2 or later, or another Mac user.

Contents

• 0.1 Related Articles
• 0.2 Things you’ll need to use FaceTime on a Mac:
• 1 6 Steps To FaceTime Using a Mac
  • 1.1 Or use Siri to Make a FaceTime Call
  • 1.2 Change Settings During a FaceTime Call on Mac
• 2 Callers See FaceTime Notifications on Macs
  • 2.1 Answer or Decline a FaceTime call on your Mac
  • 2.2 Want to Change FaceTime Notifications on your Mac?
• 3 Use Group FaceTime on your Mac 
  • 3.1 Make a Group FaceTime call
• 4 Set Up A Unique FaceTime Ringtone
  • 4.1 Change Your Location in FaceTime
• 5 Don’t Want FaceTime Calls on Your Mac?

Related Articles

• Complete Guide to Disabling and Deregistering FaceTime and iMessage


• Did error occur During Activation for FaceTime or iMessage on a Mac?


• FaceTime Not Working on Mac? How To Fix


• FaceTime Not Working; How To Troubleshoot FaceTime to Fix Your Problems


• Why is My FaceTime Not Working in iOS 12? How To Fix It

Things you’ll need to use FaceTime on a Mac:

• Mac with macOS (any version) or Mac OS X Snow Leopard v10.6.6 or later
  
  
  
  • All callers must also have either an Apple iDevice (iPhone, iPad, or iPod) or a Mac using OS X 10.6.6 or later (or any version of macOS)
  
  
  • FaceTime Audio works with Apple Watch too!
  
  
  
  


• Stable and fast internet connection


• Apple ID


• FaceTime is included with OS X Lion or later
  
  
  
  • If you are a Mac OS X v10.6 user, download FaceTime from the Mac App Store
  
  
  
  

6 Steps To FaceTime Using a Mac

1. Launch the FaceTime App
   
   
   
   1. Download it from the Mac App Store if needed
   
   
   
   


2. Enter your Apple ID or create a new one
   
   
   
   1. For folks with two-step or two-factor authentication, enter your verification code
   
   
   
   


3. Verify your contact information in “You can be reached for FaceTime at:” including email addresses and phone numbers and select a phone number or email for “Start new calls from:”


4. Choose to make a Video or Audio Call


5. Enter the name, email address, or number for a contact in the search bar


6. Tap the camera or the telephone icon to start a call

Or use Siri to Make a FaceTime Call

• Tap the Siri icon in the top-right corner of your Mac’s menu bar 


• Ask Siri to ”FaceTime Audio XXX” or ”FaceTime XXX” and let Siri do the rest!

Change Settings During a FaceTime Call on Mac

Move your mouse, trackpad, or pointer over the FaceTime window during a call to show your onscreen FaceTime Call controls.

Callers See FaceTime Notifications on Macs

If you want to make or receive a FaceTime call but can’t get to your iPad or iPhone use your Mac instead!

When someone facetimes you, a notification appears on your Mac to accept or decline the call. Folks with a Touchbar can use that to accept or decline an FT call as well.

Answer or Decline a FaceTime call on your Mac

If you don’t have time to answer the call, simply tap dismiss or reply with a message or set a callback reminder by tapping the arrow next to Decline.

You can also dismiss an alert notification without interacting with it. Just use your mouse, trackpad, or pointer to swipe the banner to the right to silence it.

Want to Change FaceTime Notifications on your Mac?

• Under the Apple Menu


• Go to System Preferences > Notifications > FaceTime


• Uncheck any settings you want disabled, such as play sound for notifications, badge app icon, and so forth. Or choose a different alert style 

Use Group FaceTime on your Mac 

With macOS Mojave and iOS 12.1, folks can also get on group FaceTime video or audio calls.

Group FaceTime supports up to 32 different participants. All participants on Group FaceTime calls must run iOS 12.1+, macOS Mojave+, or watchOS 5.1+ (audio only on Apple Watch.)

Make a Group FaceTime call

1. Open the FaceTime app


2. Enter the names of your contacts, emails, or phone numbers 


3. Tap the telephone (for audio) or camera icon (for video and audio) to start your FaceTime call

You can also make a Group FaceTime call from the Messages App

• Open or start a group conversation


• Tap Details, then click the camera icon or the phone icon

Add a person to a Group FaceTime call

1. Show the FaceTime sidebar by tapping the sidebar icon 


2. Click the Plus Sign (+) to add a person(s)


3. Enter your contact’s name, email, or phone number, then click Add

Set Up A Unique FaceTime Ringtone

1. Open FaceTime


2. Go to FaceTime in the Menu bar and select Preferences 


3. Click the drop-down menu for ringtones


4. Tap on a ringtone to select it

Change Your Location in FaceTime

1. Open FaceTime > Preferences


2. Scroll down to Location


3. Click on the drop-down menu and select your current location

Don’t Want FaceTime Calls on Your Mac?

To stop receiving FaceTime calls on your Mac, open FaceTime, then choose FaceTime > Turn FaceTime Off from the menu bar.

Or while in the FaceTime App, use the keyboard shortcut Command (⌘) + K