Many Apple users cannot figure out how to pause on FaceTime with the latest iOS updates. You may want to use this feature to keep a conversation with someone outside the call private. Or to avoid disrupting the person on the other end of your phone when you’re in a noisy area.
iPhone users can do a few things to pause on FaceTime. You can either turn off your audio and/or video. Alternatively, you can disable picture-in-picture and use the home gesture. Therefore, FaceTime will pause when you swipe up to return to your home screen. Mac users can pause FaceTime by clicking the minimize button at the top of the window.
It’s not as complicated as you think it is to pause on FaceTime. This article will walk you through how to do so on Mac and iPhone. Let’s dive right in.
How to Pause on FaceTime
If you want to pause a FaceTime video call after it begins, you can go about it a few ways. Bear in mind that pausing on FaceTime won’t end the call. However, the person on the other side won’t get video input from your end.
The video will appear blurred with ‘paused’ written over the top. Also, your audio won’t be paused, so you can still talk to whoever is on the call with you. Below are instructions to pause FaceTime on iPhone and MacBook devices.
Pausing FaceTime on a MacBook
You can temporarily stop transmitting video by pausing a FaceTime video call on Mac. As long as you don’t mute the audio, you can carry on your conversation. You can do any of the following during a video call on your Mac to pause on FaceTime:
- Click the yellow minimize button at the top of the window
- Switch to another application
If you’re unable to see the minimize button, make sure you’re not in the full-screen view. Bear in mind that when you’re on a group FaceTime call, minimizing the window won’t pause the video. To resume the FaceTime video call, click the FaceTime icon in the dock.
Pausing FaceTime on an iPhone
If you’re using FaceTime on your iPhone, you have two options to pause your video feed. Firstly, you can disable your video feed. Tap your screen to bring up the menu bar, then click the camera icon to turn off your video.
Alternatively, swipe up to exit FaceTime and return to the home screen. Your video will pause automatically. Once you have paused your video feed, you can continue communicating with the other participant.
Steps for Pausing the Video by Disabling PIP
If you followed the instructions we detailed above, a small FaceTime window may have appeared in the corner of your screen. This is called a picture-in-picture (PIP) view. iPhone’s running iOS 14 and newer versions have this feature.
Picture-in-picture lets you see who you’re calling in FaceTime on your screen when you exit the app. A small window appears on your screen with your active video feed. This can be bothersome when all you want to do is pause on FaceTime. Here’s how to disable the PIP feature:
- Go to setting on your iPhone by tapping the icon or swiping down on your screen.
- Select the General tab from the third group in the menu.
- Find the picture-in-picture setting and click it.
- Disable PIP
You can disable PIP before or during a FaceTime call. If you disable the PIP feature, your iOS behavior will revert to previous versions, removing the floating window. When you want picture-in-picture back, simply enable it.
Conclusion
FaceTime is one of the most popular Apple apps, but many users don’t understand how to pause it. You can use one of two methods to ensure your FaceTime video feed is paused.
When using FaceTime on iPhone or Mac, you have the option of disabling the video via the in-built menu bar. If you do this, the other person will still be able to hear you. Mac users can pause on FaceTime by switching to another app as well.
Alternatively, if you’re an iPhone user, swipe up to return to the home screen. If a small FaceTime window appears in the corner of your screen, disable picture-in-picture. You can do so in your phone’s settings.
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