{"slug": "facetime", "name": "FaceTime", "category": "media", "category_name": "Media and creative", "description": "", "recommenders": 4, "commenters": 8, "warners": 3, "score": 1.114, "rising": 0.02, "first": "2026-01-01", "latest": "2026-10-26", "why": "The FaceTime camera automatically keeps my head in frame", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 4, "neutral": 1, "compare": 0, "warn": 3}, "spark": [0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "The FaceTime camera automatically keeps my head in frame", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["FaceTime"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 803992048, "item_id": 50249503, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50249503", "by": "holsta", "date": "2026-10-26", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Facetime / Signal will work fine over just data.", "excerpt": "Right, iPhone and iPad must be on the same wifi network for normal phone calls to work. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/ipad/ipadf97892b2/ipados Facetime / Signal will work fine over just data.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "New iPad mini"}, {"id": 760719232, "item_id": 47544952, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47544952", "by": "_fw", "date": "2026-03-27", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I think FaceTime ought to do well here too.", "excerpt": "I think the MacBook Pro 2015 was probably unrivalled as a laptop for around 6 years, in terms of build quality, specification and\u2026 sheer love. I had a work issue machine and absolutely worshipped it, so I was sad not to see that here. I remember when Apple unveiled the first ever MacBook Air. That was one of Jobs\u2019 all-time greatest presentations, and it was a huge step forwards that still influences the laptops we us", "context": "", "use_case": "video calling", "switched_from": "", "story": "Rank the 50 best Apple products"}, {"id": 753316113, "item_id": 47082257, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47082257", "by": "fragmede", "date": "2026-02-19", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Facetime almost every day.", "excerpt": "Right. The problem is all the cooperation required. So then what's needed is an open platform that lets people put in their $10, and then sites can choose to implement it. It's a chicken and the egg problem. It hasn't worked in the past, but times change. Instead of looking at this like 3D televisions or VR, the counter example to think about is tablets \u2014 (note: human typed emdash) the Apple Newton was a flop, but th", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Micropayments as a reality check for news sites"}, {"id": 744792689, "item_id": 46549543, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46549543", "by": "adastra22", "date": "2026-01-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The FaceTime camera automatically keeps my head in frame", "excerpt": "Apple demonstrates this far better. I use their Photos app to manage my family pictures. I can search my images by visible text, by facial recognition, or by description (vector search). It automatically composes \"memories\" which are little thematic video slideshows. The FaceTime camera automatically keeps my head in frame, and does software panning and zooming as necessary. Automatic caption generation. This is norm", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Dell's CES 2026 chat was the most pleasingly un-AI briefing I've had in 5 years"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 801802192, "item_id": 50112637, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50112637", "by": "vsgherzi", "date": "2026-10-16", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "I\u2019m talking about FaceTime actually switching when I click the button.", "excerpt": "I don\u2019t really think it\u2019s something to agree or not agree on. This is the experience I\u2019ve had as an Apple user. I use their products extensively and like them quite a bit. The issues I\u2019ve seen I deem unacceptable for a company of this caliber. I\u2019m not talking about .6 seconds of load time or absolute customization. I\u2019m talking about FaceTime actually switching when I click the button. Apple Music not leaking memory. ", "context": "extensive Apple user", "use_case": "video calls", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple routed a graphite pipe through the iPhone Duo's hinge to dissipate heat"}, {"id": 770037938, "item_id": 48127371, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48127371", "by": "car", "date": "2026-05-13", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "no shitty silos like FaceTime, WhatsApp", "excerpt": "In Germany it is possible to register an ENUM domain for a phone number. This provides a DNS mapping from the E164 number to DNS records, e.g. for IP phones, etc. Decentralized and under user control, no shitty silos like FaceTime, WhatsApp. ENUM stands for \u201cTelephone Number Mapping.\u201d It is essentially a bridge between the world of telecommunications and the Internet. With a single ENUM domain, you can combine all yo", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Setting up a free *.city.state.us locality domain"}, {"id": 743328305, "item_id": 46458019, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46458019", "by": "lukeschlather", "date": "2026-01-01", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "Facetime doesn't support Firefox", "excerpt": "That ship has already sailed. And Apple is part of the problem. Recently I used Microsoft Edge because Facetime doesn't support Firefox. I couldn't get audio working so switched to Google Meet (which does work in Firefox.)", "context": "", "use_case": "Video calls", "switched_from": "", "story": "iOS allows alternative browser engines in Japan"}]}], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["video calls", "checking on dogs remotely", "video calling"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50243061", "title": "New iPad mini", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50068203", "title": "Apple routed a graphite pipe through the iPhone Duo's hinge to dissipate heat", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48803004", "title": "Buried Apple Feature Turns an iPhone into the Perfect Kids' Dumb Phone", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48122635", "title": "Setting up a free *.city.state.us locality domain", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47543247", "title": "Rank the 50 best Apple products", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47078167", "title": "Micropayments as a reality check for news sites", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {"warn": 1, "recommend": 1}, "2026-02": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-03": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {"warn": 1}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {"warn": 1, "recommend": 1}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 803992048, "item_id": 50249503, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50249503", "by": "holsta", "date": "2026-10-26", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Facetime / Signal will work fine over just data.", "excerpt": "Right, iPhone and iPad must be on the same wifi network for normal phone calls to work. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/ipad/ipadf97892b2/ipados Facetime / Signal will work fine over just data.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "New iPad mini"}, {"id": 801802192, "item_id": 50112637, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50112637", "by": "vsgherzi", "date": "2026-10-16", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "I\u2019m talking about FaceTime actually switching when I click the button.", "excerpt": "I don\u2019t really think it\u2019s something to agree or not agree on. This is the experience I\u2019ve had as an Apple user. I use their products extensively and like them quite a bit. The issues I\u2019ve seen I deem unacceptable for a company of this caliber. I\u2019m not talking about .6 seconds of load time or absolute customization. I\u2019m talking about FaceTime actually switching when I click the button. Apple Music not leaking memory. ", "context": "extensive Apple user", "use_case": "video calls", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple routed a graphite pipe through the iPhone Duo's hinge to dissipate heat"}, {"id": 781642960, "item_id": 48852685, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48852685", "by": "650REDHAIR", "date": "2026-07-09", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "have my iPad auto-answer FaceTime calls when I\u2019m out so I can check in on the dogs", "excerpt": "I use the back tap feature for shortcuts and have my iPad auto-answer FaceTime calls when I\u2019m out so I can check in on the dogs. Lots of neat features hiding beneath the surface!", "context": "", "use_case": "checking on dogs remotely", "switched_from": "", "story": "Buried Apple Feature Turns an iPhone into the Perfect Kids' Dumb Phone"}, {"id": 770037938, "item_id": 48127371, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48127371", "by": "car", "date": "2026-05-13", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "no shitty silos like FaceTime, WhatsApp", "excerpt": "In Germany it is possible to register an ENUM domain for a phone number. This provides a DNS mapping from the E164 number to DNS records, e.g. for IP phones, etc. Decentralized and under user control, no shitty silos like FaceTime, WhatsApp. ENUM stands for \u201cTelephone Number Mapping.\u201d It is essentially a bridge between the world of telecommunications and the Internet. With a single ENUM domain, you can combine all yo", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Setting up a free *.city.state.us locality domain"}, {"id": 760719232, "item_id": 47544952, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47544952", "by": "_fw", "date": "2026-03-27", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I think FaceTime ought to do well here too.", "excerpt": "I think the MacBook Pro 2015 was probably unrivalled as a laptop for around 6 years, in terms of build quality, specification and\u2026 sheer love. I had a work issue machine and absolutely worshipped it, so I was sad not to see that here. I remember when Apple unveiled the first ever MacBook Air. That was one of Jobs\u2019 all-time greatest presentations, and it was a huge step forwards that still influences the laptops we us", "context": "", "use_case": "video calling", "switched_from": "", "story": "Rank the 50 best Apple products"}, {"id": 753316113, "item_id": 47082257, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47082257", "by": "fragmede", "date": "2026-02-19", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Facetime almost every day.", "excerpt": "Right. The problem is all the cooperation required. So then what's needed is an open platform that lets people put in their $10, and then sites can choose to implement it. It's a chicken and the egg problem. It hasn't worked in the past, but times change. Instead of looking at this like 3D televisions or VR, the counter example to think about is tablets \u2014 (note: human typed emdash) the Apple Newton was a flop, but th", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Micropayments as a reality check for news sites"}, {"id": 744792689, "item_id": 46549543, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46549543", "by": "adastra22", "date": "2026-01-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The FaceTime camera automatically keeps my head in frame", "excerpt": "Apple demonstrates this far better. I use their Photos app to manage my family pictures. I can search my images by visible text, by facial recognition, or by description (vector search). It automatically composes \"memories\" which are little thematic video slideshows. The FaceTime camera automatically keeps my head in frame, and does software panning and zooming as necessary. Automatic caption generation. This is norm", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Dell's CES 2026 chat was the most pleasingly un-AI briefing I've had in 5 years"}, {"id": 743328305, "item_id": 46458019, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46458019", "by": "lukeschlather", "date": "2026-01-01", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "Facetime doesn't support Firefox", "excerpt": "That ship has already sailed. And Apple is part of the problem. Recently I used Microsoft Edge because Facetime doesn't support Firefox. I couldn't get audio working so switched to Google Meet (which does work in Firefox.)", "context": "", "use_case": "Video calls", "switched_from": "", "story": "iOS allows alternative browser engines in Japan"}]}