FaceTime Reactions, the video calling app on iPhones, received an exciting update in iOS 17 – the ability to react during FaceTime calls using hand gestures and animated effects. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to use FaceTime reactions on iOS 17.
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Introduction
With iOS 17, Apple has made FaceTime more fun and engaging. You can now react during FaceTime video calls to express emotions like love, excitement, appreciation and more.
FaceTime reactions work using the iPhone’s front-facing TrueDepth camera, which can recognize gestures and facial expressions. You can trigger animated reactions like hearts, thumbs up, confetti, and more.
Using FaceTime reactions is easy and enhances the video calling experience. Read on to learn how to use FaceTime reactions with simple gestures during your next FaceTime call.
How To Trigger FaceTime Reactions
Triggering FaceTime reactions is straightforward once you know the required gestures. Here are the steps:
- Start a FaceTime video call with a contact.
- Locate your picture preview box during the call.
- Long press on your preview. This will bring up the reactions menu.
- Tap on a reaction icon like hearts, thumbs up, etc. to preview the animation.
- Repeat steps 3-4 to try other reactions.
Alternatively, you can trigger reactions with the following physical gestures without touching the screen:
| Gesture | Reaction |
| Thumbs up | Like |
| Two thumbs up | Fireworks |
| Thumbs down | Dislike |
| Two thumbs down | Stormy rain |
| Heart shape with hands | Love |
| Open hands | Confetti |
The front-facing TrueDepth camera recognizes these gestures and automatically triggers the appropriate reactions.
Activating FaceTime Reactions
Follow these simple steps to start using FaceTime reactions on your iPhone or iPad updated to iOS 17:
- Open the FaceTime app and start a video call with a contact.
- Make sure the front-facing TrueDepth camera view is enabled so your face and gestures are visible to the other person.
- Long press on your FaceTime picture-in-picture to bring up the reactions menu.
- Tap on a reaction animation like hearts, thumbs up, fireworks etc to trigger it.
Alternatively, you can use physical hand gestures to activate reactions hands-free:
- 👍 Single Thumbs Up – Sends a “Like” reaction
- ✌️ Two Thumbs Up – Triggers celebratory fireworks
- 👎 Thumbs Down – Dislike reaction
- ✊ Two Thumbs Down – Sends stormy rain animation
- ❤️ Make a Heart Shape – Sends a heart reaction
- 👐 Open Hands – Sends balloons and confetti
Customizing FaceTime Reactions
You can customize which reaction effects are available in the FaceTime menu:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap on FaceTime.
- Under Reactions, tap on Edit Reactions.
- Toggle reaction effects on or off to choose which appear in FaceTime.
By default, all reactions are enabled when you upgrade to iOS 17. Customize as desired for quick access to your favorite reactions.
Disabling Reactions
Want to disable FaceTime reactions? Here’s how:
- Open Control Center during a FaceTime call.
- Tap on the Effects tile in the top left corner.
- Toggle off the Reactions button so it is no longer highlighted.
This will disable gestural and screen reactions until you re-enable the feature.
How Do FaceTime Reactions Work?
FaceTime reactions in iOS 17 utilize the TrueDepth camera system on newer iPhones and iPads. This includes features like:
- Face ID infrared camera
- Dot projector
- Front camera
- Neural engine for machine learning
Together, these cameras and sensors can detect and track the user’s face, expressions, and gestures in real-time. The data is processed locally on the device by the neural engine to identify reactions triggers.
When the neural engine recognizes a reactions gesture or trigger, it activates the corresponding animated effect or reaction during the FaceTime call.
FaceTime Reactions Support
FaceTime reactions are supported on iPhone and iPad models with a TrueDepth front-facing camera system. This includes:
- iPhone X and newer
- iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation) and newer
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation) and newer
- iPad Air (4th generation) and newer
- iPad mini (6th generation)
On older iOS devices lacking necessary TrueDepth sensors, the reactions menu can still be accessed by long pressing on your FaceTime picture-in-picture. However, physical hand gestures will not work for triggering reactions.
Conclusion
FaceTime reactions in iOS 17 make video calls more engaging, allowing you to react naturally as you would during an in-person conversation. With simple gestures and screen taps, you can now share excitement, appreciation, disapproval, and more.
Customize your available reactions, and turn them off whenever needed for a great FaceTime experience on iPhone. Have fun with the new reactions feature on your next FaceTime call!
