Apple’s latest iOS 17 update brings an exciting feature to FaceTime called FaceTime Reactions. These animated effects add a new level of expressiveness to your video chats by popping up on your screen during the call. Similar to the reactions commonly used in Messages with other iPhone users, FaceTime Reactions include hearts, fireworks, thumbs-ups, and more. These effects can serve as expressive substitutes for written responses or enhance your body language with 3D animations. Additionally, these animated reactions are also available in macOS Sonoma and iPadOS 17.
To manually trigger an effect on FaceTime and video calls, you can follow these steps:
1. During a FaceTime call, press down on your picture to bring up a popup menu.
2. In the popup menu, you will see eight different reactions to choose from.
3. Select the thumbs-up or thumbs-down icon to make a bubble with the respective symbol appear next to your face.
4. Tap the heart icon to have a trail of red hearts appear on the screen.
5. Choose the balloon or confetti symbol to trigger a colorful on-screen display, showcasing your excitement.
6. You can also select the fireworks or laser beam icon for a funky show.
7. If you’re feeling down, tap the rain icon to make the screen turn dark and gloomy.
Each selected symbol will trigger an on-screen effect that lasts for a few seconds, visible to both you and the person on the other side of the FaceTime call.
Alternatively, you can use hand gestures to activate these animated effects on FaceTime and video calls. Here’s how:
1. Perform a thumbs-up gesture with your hand to create a thumbs-up bubble on the screen.
2. For a thumbs-down animation, perform a double thumbs-down gesture.
3. Make a heart shape with your hands to light up the screen with a bunch of heart emojis where your palms are.
4. Create a peace sign with your hand to fill the screen with colorful floating balloons.
5. Make two peace signs for an even more celebratory effect with party confetti.
6. To see a laser light show, throw up two metal horns (🤘🤘).
These hand gestures provide a fun and interactive way to trigger the animated reactions during your FaceTime calls.
Overall, FaceTime Reactions in iOS 17 add a new level of creativity and expression to your video chats. Whether you prefer manually triggering the effects or using hand gestures, you can enhance your FaceTime experience with animated hearts, fireworks, thumbs-ups, and more. So, go ahead and make the most of this exciting feature during your next FaceTime call.
