## FaceTime Gestures in iOS 18: Elevate Your Video Calls with Fun Animations
Remember how iOS 17 brought those cool FaceTime gestures to iPhone, making video calls a bit more lively? Well, iOS 18 takes things up a notch with the power of Apple Intelligence, turning those gestures into 3D animation magic! Get ready to shower your friends and family with confetti, fireworks, and even a thumbs-up bubble that’ll pop right next to your head – all with the power of your hands.
### How it Works
While setting it up is a breeze, we’ve got a quick guide to walk you through the process. The good news is, you don’t need your friends or family to be using iOS 18 or even an iPhone. The magic happens on your iPhone and is then sent as part of the video stream.
### What You’ll Need
Ready to dive in? You’ll need an iPhone 12 or newer. This isn’t just about the A14 chip; it’s also about the TrueDepth camera, which has undergone some significant upgrades. This camera is also the secret sauce behind mask-aware Face ID. And that’s important because these 3D effects aren’t just slapped on top of your face. They are immersive, leveraging the same depth measurements used for those awesome Portrait Mode photos.
### Let’s Get Started
1.
Upgrade to iOS 18:
You’ll need the latest iOS version to access the FaceTime gestures.2.
Open Settings:
Navigate to the Settings app on your iPhone.3.
Tap Accessibility:
Scroll down and tap on ‘Accessibility’.4.
Choose FaceTime:
Select ‘FaceTime’ from the list of options.5.
Toggle on ‘Video Reactions’:
Make sure the ‘Video Reactions’ switch is turned on. This enables your phone to recognize your hand gestures.Note:
You can choose to disable the gesture recognition and still use manual video reactions, but you won’t be able to trigger them in other video conferencing apps like Teams or Zoom.### Unleash the Fun: FaceTime Gestures in Action
You can trigger video reactions manually by long-pressing your video preview in a FaceTime call. A menu pops up with eight different reaction options. But the real fun lies in using your hands! These are the gestures that make your video calls truly interactive, and they’re the only way to trigger these effects in third-party apps.
Here’s a breakdown of the eight gestures and the effects they trigger. Remember, hold your hands a few inches away from your face and pause for a moment or two to activate the effect:
1.
Thumbs Up:
Just stick up your thumb and hold it for a second, and a thumbs-up bubble will animate beside your head.2.
Thumbs Down:
Similar to the thumbs-up, this one is easy to figure out. Just stick your thumb down for a second.3.
Heart:
Make a heart gesture with both hands – thumbs at the bottom – and watch red hearts float from your hands.4.
Two Thumbs Up:
Want to show extra excitement? Give a double thumbs up, and fireworks will explode behind you.5.
Two Thumbs Down:
Not a fan of what you’re seeing? Two thumbs down will bring a gentle shower of rain.6.
Peace Sign:
A two-fingered peace sign (with your palm facing forward) triggers colored balloons floating around you.7.
Double Peace Sign:
For extra balloon action, do the peace sign with both hands.8.
Laser Burst:
The last and perhaps trickiest gesture is the Laser Burst. Hold up both hands, palm-forward, with your index finger and little finger extended, and watch a laser beam shoot out from your hands.### Take It Beyond FaceTime
The best part? These FaceTime gestures aren’t limited to iPhone users. You can use them on supported iPad models running iPadOS 18 and even on Apple silicon Macs running macOS Sequoia. And everyone in the call will see your animated reactions, regardless of the platform they’re using. However, only iPhones, iPads, and Macs can respond with their own FaceTime gestures.
So, go ahead, add a little magic to your video calls with FaceTime gestures! It’s a fun and easy way to show your friends and family that you’re really excited to be connected.
