Apple's Group FaceTime Feature Will be Delayed

One of the coolest features of iOS 12, Group FaceTime, is going to exist a tad delayed.

As 9to5Mac reported, Apple announced the lame news in its iOS 12 developer beta 7 release notes before this week.

"Group FaceTime has been removed from the initial release of iOS 12 and will send in a futurity software update later this autumn," the Cupertino tech giant wrote, co-ordinate to the report. Apple did not specify why, exactly, the feature is taking longer than expected.

First announced at Apple'south Worldwide Developer Conference in June, Group FaceTime will let you video chat with up to 32 people at one time. During a chat, participants' images appear in small boxes on the screen. As people speak, their images will bubble upward and appear more prominently, but yous can likewise tap on the video of a certain person if y'all only want to see them.

When the feature eventually arrives, you'll be able to turn whatever group chat on Messages into a Group FaceTime chat, and drop in and out of the chat as necessary.

Right at present, the but manner to go iOS 12 is to enroll your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch in Apple tree's beta program. Signing upwards for the iOS 12 public beta is very simple, requiring just a login from your phone and few taps. Un-enrolling is simple, also.

iOS 12 offers faster app launching, a characteristic called Screen Time aimed at combating tech habit, Siri shortcuts, Memoji, support for ARKit ii, and more. Meanwhile, if you want to accept a group video chat, there'due south no shortage of apps that can help you lot do that correct now. Instagram and WhatsApp let you lot video conversation with upwardly to iv people, while Snapchat offers support for upward to 16, and Skype allows up to 25.

If y'all're looking for a more than business-friendly solution, check out our roundup of the Best Video Conferencing Software of 2022.

Most Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo is PCMag'southward expert on fitness and smart dwelling house products. Teaching yoga for nigh x years has helped her in evaluating a range of connected wellness products including fitness trackers, heart rate monitors, rowers, smart scales, stationary bikes, strength training machines, treadmills, and more than. Angela also tests smart home devices from her ranch in Florida, including air purifiers, kitchen appliances, and robot vacuums, just to name a few.