Apple TV 4K Will Support FaceTime Calls Using Your IPhone’s Camera

Today at its annual developer conference, Apple announced updates for all its various operating systems, and tvOS is one of them. With the upcoming tvOS 17, due to release sometime this fall, the Apple TV 4K is getting support for FaceTime.

Apple allows video calls from the Apple TV

The new FaceTime app for tvOS will let you initiate calls directly from your Apple TV or start calls on your iPhone or iPad and then hand them off to the Apple TV. FaceTime on Apple TV takes advantage of Apple’s Continuity Camera feature to wirelessly connect to your iPhone or iPad in order to use its camera and microphone to record your side of the call, while the people you’re talking to will be shown on the TV.

Centre Stage will keep everyone in the room perfectly framed on the screen even as they move around, and there are new gesture-based reactions too; these allow you to use your hands to generate on-screen reaction effects, such as hearts or fireworks, to add a bit of fun to the conversation.

Apple TV can be used for multiple purposes

Through the introduction of Split View for Apple TV, you can watch shows or movies with your loved ones during a SharePlay session (another recently introduced feature) while also seeing everyone on the FaceTime call. All the while controls on your iPhone or iPad make it easy to transfer a FaceTime call back to those devices if needed. If another FaceTime call comes in during a session, a notification on the TV will let you know someone is calling without revealing who the caller is to preserve your privacy.

Later this year, conferencing apps like WebEx by Cisco and Zoom will also launch on tvOS, bringing their suite of web conferencing abilities to the largest screen in the room via the Apple TV 4K.

Also read: On Which Day Fatal Heart Attacks Are More Common? See What Report Says

Apple Music Sing

This feature, which lets you sing along to your favourite tracks, will also integrate the Continuity Camera so you can see yourself on screen and add some “entertaining filters” to your performance if you so wish.

TvOS 17

There’s a new Control Centre in tvOS 17 too, which displays system status, including the time and active profile, and expands with other details based on your activity.