Apple Removes Group FaceTime From iOS 12 and macOS Mojave, Says It'll Launch Later This Year

Apple today removed Group FaceTime from the latest iOS 12 and macOS Mojave betas, which were released this morning, and has instead decided to release the feature at a later date.

One of the key features of iOS 12 and macOS Mojave, Group FaceTime is designed to allow up to 32 people to chat together at one time via FaceTime audio or FaceTime video.


The feature has been available in iOS 12 and macOS Mojave since the first betas became available in June, and it's not clear why Apple has decided to push the feature back to a later date. Group FaceTime worked well in our testing, but we also did not push the limits with a large group of people.

In release notes for both macOS Mojave and iOS 12, Apple says the feature has been removed from the initial releases of macOS Mojave and iOS 12 and "will ship in a future software update later this fall."

With the release of iOS 11, Apple also ended up delaying several features that were initially announced as part of the update until later in the year, including Apple Pay Cash, AirPlay 2, and Messages in iCloud, three significant iOS 11 features that did not come out until months after iOS 11 launched.

Apple Pay Cash later launched in December as part of the iOS 11.2 update, while Messages in iCloud and AirPlay 2 were delayed until the launch of iOS 11.4 in May. Apple has said the Group FaceTime feature will come later in the fall, which means it should come in one of the first or second iOS 12 updates.

Related Forums: iOS 12, macOS Mojave

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Unveils First New Products of 2026

Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch. Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
Apple Logo Black

Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats

Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio. Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014. Q.ai has...
iPhone 5s

iPhone 5s Gets New Software Update 13 Years After Launch

Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released. iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Apple Creator Studio

Apple's Next Launch is Today

Tuesday January 27, 2026 2:39 pm PST by
Update: Apple Creator Studio is now available. Apple Creator Studio launches this Wednesday, January 28. The all-in-one subscription provides access to the Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps, with U.S. pricing set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. A subscription to Apple Creator Studio also unlocks "intelligent features" and "premium...
apple silicon 1 feature

Apple Responds to Skyrocketing RAM and Storage Chip Prices

Thursday January 29, 2026 2:40 pm PST by
On an earnings call with equity analysts today, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to fast-rising RAM and SSD storage chip prices in the supply chain. Cook said that rising memory chip prices had a "minimal impact" on Apple's gross margin in the fourth quarter of the 2025 calendar year, but he does expect a "bit more of an impact" on the company's gross margin in the current quarter. Cook added ...

Top Rated Comments

Gyroworld Avatar
98 months ago
So we'll see it right before WWDC 2019
Score: 72 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chri5dub12 Avatar
98 months ago
Take that Samsung commercial!
Score: 64 Votes (Like | Disagree)
johnyslats Avatar
98 months ago
AirPlay 2 all over again
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Naraxus Avatar
98 months ago
Anyone remember a time when Apple didn't announce features before they were ready? This has become more and more common under Timmy The Bean Counter sadly....
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrumApple Avatar
98 months ago
Apple, your reputation is getting worse and worse. Stop announcing things and then never delivering, or delivering way late. Maybe it will arrive with AirPower? How stupid.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
98 months ago
Oh great, I guess we'll see this next May like we did with AirPlay 2.

You know Apple, you really don't have to make it work with 32 people at launch. You could start with 4 which is the max that 95% of people will probably use. 32 is insanity.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)