You can never have enough of your family and friends, this is why FaceTime ensures you share your memorable moments with them even while they are away. However, using this app only for videos and audio calls can be limiting if you want to share your TikTok or Snapchat videos. Therefore, I will help you understand what more you can do while on FaceTime for a better experience.
So, can you Snapchat or TikTok while on FaceTime? You can use Snapchat or TikTok while on FaceTime, thanks to SharePlay, an update on Apple iOS 15 that enables users to share their screen, play music, and watch movies while on the call. Apple demonstrated this feature during its Worldwide Developer Conference, displaying how friends in the call could press play in the Apple Music and listen together. With the shared playback controls, anyone on the call can pause, play, or jump to the next track if listening to music.
With the recent update on FaceTime, users can enjoy more than one app, especially if their call will last longer. Listening to music and watching movies with friends and family is always satisfying.
However, this may not always be possible as they have to be physically present in most cases, something that may take a toll on you given the global pandemic, in addition to other limitations. As such, you may want to share your experiences via call, and being able to do so on FaceTime is convenient as you do not have to quit the call.
While many video streaming services have virtual watch party features, SharePlay is the only one that will allow you to share content from multiple apps such as TikTok on your Apple devices. To use this feature, you will first gather people on a FaceTime call, after which you can share your videos on Twitch and MasterClass.
You can also share movies and TV shows via Disney+ or Hulu. This way, individuals on the call will watch the same movies and shows and listen to music on their iPhone or iPad. You can also access supported apps and share them on your screen, courtesy of Apple’s SharePlay.
In order to use SharePlay, your device should be running iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, or higher. If you are unsure of this and want to check if your device is up to date, navigate to your Settings app and select General then Software Updates.
You will receive a prompt to install the latest update or be told that your OS is up to date. Sharing content from other apps to FaceTime will require a subscription, and all viewers should have it. However, this requirement is different for TikTok, as you will see later.
To share content through FaceTime, ensure that SharePlay is enabled on your device. This is given that upon purchasing your device, this setting may not be automatically enabled, requiring a manual activation.
To check this, navigate to the Settings, FaceTime, then SharePlay, and toggle on the tab if it is not on. Everyone you invite to your FaceTime call must equally do this for successful sharing. With this set, launch FaceTime on your device and place a video call to your friends or family that you want to join in the shared activity.
When sharing TikTok on FaceTime, individuals in the call need not install the app on their devices to view your content. Instead, you will start your FaceTime call then open the TikTok app. Next, tap on Choose Content to Use SharePlay at the top of your screen, then the last icon in the FaceTime video toolbar. While here, select Share My Screen and click on a video for other users to see on their screens.
Another way you can share content from TikTok or Snapchat to FaceTime is through the Share Your Screen option. This option works the same way you would use Zoom or Google Meet.
To do this, initiate a FaceTime video call and on your screen, tap the share icon on the toolbar, then tap Share My Screen. You can then open your choice app or window and open Snapchat or TikTok, and those on call will be able to see your screen and onscreen activities.
Enabling SharePlay for an Apple app will share it automatically in the next session. For instance, if you share TikTok, it will automatically start playing the next time you open a video for a sharing session. To change this setting, navigate to your Settings app, FaceTime, and then SharePlay.
You will see all the apps you shared under SharePlay Automatically, and you can automatically turn off the ones you do not wish to share next time. Thus, the next time you want to share your screen, you will manually tap the Share My Screen like you are setting it up for the first time.
Can FaceTime Use an External Camera?
Built-in webcams on your Mac, iPhone, or iPads may not always offer the highest resolution. While their quality is not poor, this may be limiting if you want the best quality video call. Luckily, you can get high-quality videos with a USB webcam by attaching a camera with your choice resolution for video calls. Therefore, knowing whether you can use an external camera for FaceTime and how to set it up is ideal before investing in one.
You can use an external camera for FaceTime on your Mac if the camera and Mac have compatible connections like USB. For iPhone and iPad a third-party adapter will be required to connect the external camera to the lightning port as there are no direct connections from the webcam to the iPhone or iPad. Wi-Fi enabled cameras will require additional software to work on the iPhone and iPad.
Generally, a webcam will connect over a 2.0 USB port, and for a Mac that does not have this port, you will require a hub or converter to connect it. The iPhone and iPad lack direct USB support for cameras and require an adapter.
To change your Mac default camera for FaceTime, connect your external camera to your Mac over USB. If your external camera has a light indicator showing its power reception, ensure that it is on. You should note that a webcam will draw power from the device it connects to, thus using it on your MacBook while on battery will drain it faster.
Once connected, open the FaceTime app on your Mac. Your FaceTime app will connect to the internal webcam, which is the default. To change this, navigate to the menu, select Video, choose the external webcam from the dropdown and wait for the camera feed to update. At times, this feed may fail to update or freeze. When this happens, quit, open FaceTime, and repeat the above steps.
If using an iPad, connecting a webcam will pose challenges, in which case, you can use one of the high-definition cameras on your iPad as webcams. These include the iSight camera and FaceTime HD camera.
The iSight camera is at the back of the iPad and is ideal for taking pictures or videos to share with others. On the other hand, you can use the FaceTime HD camera above your screen for your video chat apps, as it enables you to see the person you are talking to on your screen during a video call.
Alternatively, you can connect a webcam installed on your PC to your iPad via a Wi-Fi connection or an app. Some of the apps you can use to connect your webcam on your PC to an iPad or iPhone include WebCamera, iCam, and JumiCam.
You will need to pay a few dollars to install these apps, after which you can install its sister app on your PC to enable communication between your iPad or iPhone on your PC. Once connected on the same Wi-Fi, the webcam will stream to your iPad.
If you are using an iPad, you will have to come to terms with the impossibility of attaching a physical external camera like you would with a Mac. One of the reasons for this is that iPads lack a USB port for this connection. Secondly, while you could connect a webcam through the Lightning connector on your iPad, these cameras lack software drivers for IOS.
Even if such drivers existed, it would still be hard to have a functional connection, as installing them would be impossible. Lastly, the iPad lacks Flash support. Flash is the software websites use to transmit webcam images during video calls or chats.
Connecting FaceTime to a webcam is not straightforward. Fortunately, there is a way you can view and record your webcam’s video feed on your iPad, but this is possible with a few webcams which have iPad and iPhone apps.
What Are Good Excuses To Get Off FaceTime?
While you may love interacting with friends and family through FaceTime, there are times you may not be in the mood. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to inform the other party that you are not in the mood without sounding disinterested, which is why I will help you find your way off FaceTime without sounding rude.
Among the things you can blame to get off FaceTime is your Wi-Fi, cellular connection, storage or battery. With Wi-Fi and cellular, blaming the quality of the connection is the easiest excuse. Whilst a low battery excuse or running out of storage can also help. Other excuses include walking your pet, attending to your chores, or other meetings that you need to attend.
FaceTime will always default to Wi-Fi for connection, and, if it is unstable, it may supplement it with your cellular data. This can be expensive, especially if you FaceTime for longer hours. Therefore, you can attribute the slowness to the many users in your home affecting the internet speed. You can also blame your device storage, stating that it is full, and you cannot install the app for the call.
At times, you may spend most of your day on your device, either doing research or chatting with other friends on social media. This may drain your battery, giving you a good excuse off FaceTime.
Since it is not a good idea to FaceTime while charging your device, this excuse should serve you big time. You can also state that you have another call in a few minutes, limiting your current call to a certain duration.
Family is another excuse that should serve you right, whether spending time with them or helping your mum with certain chores. The other party should understand and give you space for this.
You are not exempted from household chores if you are at home, thus your parents may request you to help with house chores or tend to the pet. If you have a dog, taking it for a walk can serve as an excuse to aid its bowel movement. Your cat or turtle will also benefit from a bit of exposure to the sun.
With the current pandemic forcing us to spend more time at home, there is a high tendency to focus less on our looks. Thus, you can reject a FaceTime call with the excuse of not looking socially acceptable and express that you are uncomfortable having a FaceTime video call.
Lastly, while you can give many excuses to get off FaceTime, coming out clean on why you can’t FaceTime will save your time trying to convince the other party. When all the above excuses fail, telling them the truth will easily help you.
For instance, a stressful or overwhelming episode in your life may leave you feeling drained and desiring a break from literally everything. Explaining this to the other party and rescheduling the call when you are comfortable will be ideal. If you are dealing with friends and family, they should relate and understand instead of putting pressure on you.
Wrap Up
If you want to use Snapchat or TikTok while on FaceTime, you can share your screen or utilize the SharePlay feature. To further enhance this experience, given that FaceTime is a video app, you can improve your video quality through an external high-resolution camera.
iPad, iPhone, and Mac have good built-in cameras but attaching a higher resolution camera will give you better output. If you are using a Mac, you can do this through the USB port, but on iPads, you will use special apps for successful connection.
Finally, while you may love communicating with your loved ones, you also need some alone time, and presenting the best excuse to achieve this is a lifesaver. Among the excuses you can give include storage, unstable Wi-Fi, or low battery.
You can also express your commitments to the other party, and they should give you the space. Whether in the mood or not, setting up your video calls and sharing other apps on FaceTime is a plus to your overall experience.
