FaceTime is coming to Apple TV. While this probably won’t be a feature that every Apple TV player user will find value in, or even want to use, it is another improvement to the popular TV platform.
The addition of Facetime support on Apple TV was announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023. During the event, Apple also announced upgrades and improvements to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Watch platforms as well.
While tvOS didn’t get quite as many announcements as those other platforms, Apple did confirm that FaceTime support is coming, making it possible to have FaceTime calls with friends and family on a television screen.
As TVs don’t typically come with a camera or a microphone, FaceTime on Apple TV will still rely on the use of an iPhone or iPad. To explain, the iPhone or iPad will be used to make the FaceTime call as normal, but will gain the option of sending the receiving FaceTime feed to a nearby Apple TV player.
Basically, Apple TV users will soon be able to AirPlay a FaceTime call. The streaming player will automatically, and wirelessly, connect to the iPhone or iPad camera to allow it to receive the camera feed. Apple’s machine learning-powered Center Stage will then kick in and help to keep everyone in the room perfectly framed on the screen.
Thanks to the introduction of Split View for Apple TV, the feature will also work with Apple’s SharePlay to ensure people can remotely watch Apple TV and continue to FaceTime with others at the same time.
While Apple didn’t explicitly state when FaceTime on Apple TV will go live, the company did say it will become available in the fall as part of the tvOS 17 software update. It will also be arriving in app form, so you can expect to see a new FaceTime app show up on the Apple TV player in due course.
