FaceTime's fantastic new features

July 10, 2021

FaceTime is about to get even better. In iOS 15, which is available now as a free public beta, Apple's proprietary messaging service gets great new audio and video features. Plus, you can use it to communicate with Android and Windows folks as well.

Find out what these new FaceTime features do, and how to use them, in the how-tos leading this week's newsletter.

Also don't miss this week:

  • A 3D-printed wall clock based on the Settings app icon.

  • Woz's impassioned support for the right to repair.

  • A look at Lisey's Story's creepy incel baddie.

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

FaceTime's new features

iOS and iPadOS 15 let you enjoy FaceTime calls with Android and Windows users for the first time. But to get a call started, you — or someone else with an Apple device — first need to send out an invite. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do that on iPhone and iPad.

Remote meetings on FaceTime are a lot calmer in iOS and iPadOS 15, thanks to a feature called voice isolation that blocks out background noise. Here’s how to enable it.

This new feature will come in handy during conference calls. Here’s how to make the magic happen.

Audio isn't the only thing getting an upgrade in FaceTime. It's time to embrace the blur!

News and opinion

Steve Wozniak may be the co-founder of Apple, but that doesn’t mean that he’s always in lockstep with the company’s policies or opinions.

Mini-LED screens, branded as “Liquid Retina XDR” displays, are reportedly coming to Apple's high-end laptops.

Plus, more hardware rumors:

Recent reports suggest owners of the original HomePod should steer clear of the device’s software version 14.6 and the newer version 15 update for beta users.

Apple teamed up with the BBC for 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room, which will debut on Apple TV+ this September.

The small, analog clock, which is driven by an inexpensive clock mechanism, would look great on any Apple fan’s wall.

Redditor DeviantSubrbanKid knows how to impress a few computer setup mavens on social media. Make the workstation clean, tasteful and functional. And then add some weird or interesting touches.

Plus, more Setups:

How-tos

iOS and iPadOS 15 introduce a brilliant new feature called Live Text, which not only identifies text in your photos, but also allows you to interact with it. You can use it for all kinds of things, like making a call, sending an email, or looking up directions to an address. Here’s how to use it.

iOS and iPadOS 15 allow you to change the date and time a photo was captured for the first time. The feature is particularly handy for those who frequently import images from other sources.

So, you’ve already installed the iPadOS 15 beta on your iPad and now some of your favorite apps and features are broken. Don’t worry — it’s really easy (if a little time-consuming) to revert back to iPadOS 14.

Deals

Joining the Apple ecosystem is easy. Keeping everything fully charged? Not so much. This multidevice charger will help.

This is a great way to get your hands on some of the finest Mac apps around, all for one low price.

A well-lit photo is worth more than a thousand words. (And one of them will be, "Oooooh ....") Get the best shots possible with this inexpensive photo booth.

Is your Mac running a little sluggishly? While you might think it’s time to buy a whole new computer, you probably just need to clean up the junk that’s slowing yours down.

Reviews

Lisey has both of her sisters by her side as crazed stalker Jim Dooley approaches for their final showdown. But is everything as cut-and-dried as it appears? The penultimate episode of Lisey’s Story, the Stephen King miniseries on Apple TV+, has one last round of games to play.

Forever losing your new Siri Remote for Apple TV? You should probably do something about that — like wrapping yours in this protective silicone case from Elago that also has room for an AirTag.

Give your Apple Watch a suave and sophisticated makeover. This band is made entirely from high-grade stainless steel and available in a number of cracking color options.