Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Apple's WWDC 2021 presentation kicked off with a fresh look into what's coming with iOS 15. One of the Apple programs that will receive a major update will be FaceTime, which will now be more poised to compete with Zoom and Discord.
The biggest update coming to FaceTime is SharePlay, which will allow FaceTime users to share experiences together on various other apps. This includes callers being able to watch movies on apps like HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu; watch live entertainment from Twitch or the NBA; or even watch the latest viral videos on TikTok. Users will also be able to engage with other apps through the picture-in-picture feature, such as takeout apps. All of these apps can be integrated through an API made available to developers and additional apps are expected to become compatible with FaceTime.
FaceTime's person-to-person meetings will also receive a boost with several quality-of-life improvements. FaceTime calls will now feature spatial audio, better allowing users to determine who is speaking in a group call by making a person's audio come out of their portrait. Voice isolation will block ambient noise through audio compression, while visibility will be improved with the introduction of Grid View and Portrait Mode.
Apple is also adding the ability to share links to FaceTime calls, putting the company in a better position to compete with the likes of Zoom. FaceTime Links will allow for users across both the iOS and Android ecosystems to join the same call. Windows and Mac users can also jump into calls through their desktops.
Apple's FaceTime updates will be introduced with the release of iOS 15. We'll have more to say about iOS 15, as well as the other announcements from WWDC 2021, so stay tuned to Shacknews for the latest news.