FaceTime is Apple’s video-chat program. It lets you make free video calls to other Macs, or to i-gadgets like iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches. (This assumes of course, that you and your conversation partner both have high-speed Internet connections. You also both need Macs with Mac OS 10.6.6 or later, and cameras, either built-in or external. And you need an Apple ID; see the box below. If this is your first time, enter your Apple ID and password on the right side of the window, and click Sign In.)
To make a video call, open FaceTime. It starts out looking a little weird—the panel that displays the actual video (you, at first) is tall and skinny, as though you’re using—what else?—an iPhone.
Now you have to choose someone to call. Ironically, this setup step usually begins with a more old-fashioned communication—a phone call or a text message, for example. (“Want to FaceTime now?”)
Figure 16-4. Yes, iChat also offers video calls—but FaceTime doesn’t need as fast an Internet connection. You’ll often be able to make FaceTime video calls in situations when iChat gives up.
The panel on the right side of the window offers three tab buttons (at the bottom). Click Contacts to see everyone in your Mac OS X address book. If there is nobody in your address book, click the + button at upper right and enter the FaceTime contact information of your first calling buddy. If you’re calling an iPhone, the contact info should be a phone number. For any other machine, it’s an email address. Click Done when you’ve entered the information.
(As in the actual Address Book app, you can put people into groups, like “Work” or “Social Circle.” If you plan to use this feature, be sure to click Groups and select the proper one before you click + to add a new person.)
Tip
If you’re smart, you’ll pluck out the people you plan to FaceTime with most frequently and put them into your Favorites list (the first tab at the bottom). To do that, click the person’s name on the Contacts tab and then click Add to Favorites. (If there’s more than one email address or phone number, a subsequent screen lets you click the one you want to use.)
To remove someone from the Favorites list, click the Edit
button (on the Favorites tab) and then click the
button next to the person’s name.
All right then. To make the actual call, take one of these steps:
Click the person’s name in your Favorites list.
Click the Recents tab, where you’ll see a list of FaceTime calls you’ve recently made or received. Click the person’s name.
Click Contacts. Click Groups, if you use the Groups feature, and click the group the person is in. Use the search box, or just scroll, to find the person you want to call. Click the name; if you have multiple email addresses or phone numbers for that person, click the one you want.
In any case, your Mac now attempts to connect to your FaceTime-equipped buddy. After a moment, the video image of you is replaced by the video image of your calling buddy (Figure 16-4). If you both have fast Internet connections, and if the other guy has a recent Mac (with a so-called FaceTime HD camera), the video should look pretty amazing—hi-def, actually.
Once the FaceTime session has begun, just talk normally. You’re on camera!
Here’s some of the fun you can have during your call:
Resize the window. Drag any window edge, click the Zoom button (upper left), or choose Window→Zoom to make the window fill the screen.
Go full-screen. Click the
button (upper right) to make the window
fill your entire screen. (Click it again to restore the
window.)Move the inset. The little picture-in-picture rectangle shows you. You can drag it to a different corner of the video window, if you like.
Rotate the screen. If you’re calling an iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, the shape of the video-image rectangle changes automatically to match. But you can change the orientation of the window yourself, too. Either use the Video menu (choose Use Portrait or Use Landscape), or click the curved arrow in the inset that shows you, or use the Rotate gesture on your trackpad (two fingers, rotate).
Mute the mike. Either choose Video→Mute, or click the
button at the bottom of the video
window. The video continues. This is handy when you have to
make ugly throat-clearing sounds or yell at your kid in the
background.Pause the call. You can also pause the audio and video, for use when you have to perform small acts of personal grooming. To do that, choose FaceTime→Hide FaceTime, or Control-click the FaceTime icon in the Dock and choose Hide from the shortcut menu.
Life is even simpler when somebody calls you. You hear the little chirpy incoming-call sound, and a message appears on your screen. (If iTunes is playing music, it pauses automatically. Sweet.)
Click Accept to start the call, or Decline if now is not the time. (In that case, your caller will be told that you’re not available.)
FaceTime doesn’t have to be running for you to receive a call. That’s generally a cool feature—but if you really don’t want to be interrupted, you can hang up a digital “Do Not Disturb” sign in any of these ways:
In FaceTime, choose FaceTime→Turn FaceTime Off.
In FaceTime, choose FaceTime→Preferences; click the Off switch.
Sign out of FaceTime. (Choose FaceTime→Preferences, click Account, and then click Sign Out.)