ios12 facetime iconWith Apple's FaceTime, you can take Live Photos during ‌FaceTime‌ video calls, allowing you to capture special moments as they happen onscreen when chatting with friends and family.

‌Live Photos‌ record what happens 1.5 seconds before and after you take a picture, allowing them to come alive when you view them in Apple's Photos app.

Apple gives you control over whether ‌Live Photos‌ can be taken during your ‌FaceTime‌ calls. The service also notifies users when a Live Photo is taken, so they can't be shot in secret. In addition, ‌FaceTime‌ strips out audio from ‌Live Photos‌, so nothing you say will be recorded.

How to Allow Live Photos to Be Taken in a FaceTime Call

If you want other people to be able to take ‌FaceTime‌ ‌Live Photos‌ when you're on a call with them, make sure you have ‌FaceTime‌ ‌Live Photos‌ enabled.

settings
On an iOS device, launch the Settings app, tap FaceTime, and check that the FaceTime Live Photos switch is toggled to the green ON position.

FaceTime
On Mac, launch the FaceTime app, click the ‌FaceTime‌ menu bar in the top-left corner of the screen and click Preferences, then tick the box next to Allow Live Photos to be captured during Video calls.

FaceTime

How to Take Live Photos in FaceTime on iPhone and iPad

  1. Launch the FaceTime app on your iOS device.
  2. Initiate a ‌FaceTime‌ call, either by tapping on a contact in the recent calls list, or choosing a person in your Contacts to call by tapping the plus (+) icon.
    FaceTime

  3. Once the call connects and you can see the other person, tap the screen and look for the camera icon, to the left of the red button. If you don't see the icon, the other person needs to enable ‌Live Photos‌, as described above.
    FaceTime

  4. Tap the camera icon when you're ready to take a Live Photo. The photo will be automatically saved in your Photo Library.

How to Take Live Photos in FaceTime on Mac

  1. Launch the FaceTime app on your Mac, from your Dock or the Applications folder.
    apps

  2. Initiate a ‌FaceTime‌ call by clicking on a contact in the recent calls list, typing a contact's name in the search bar and clicking a match, or choosing a person in your contacts list to call by clicking the Plus icon.
    facetime

  3. Once the call connects and you can see the other person, look for the camera icon, to the left of the red button. If you don't see the icon, the other person needs to enable ‌Live Photos‌, as described above.
    FaceTime

  4. Click the camera icon when you're ready to take a Live Photo. The photo will be automatically saved in your Photo Library.

When taking a Live Photo during a ‌FaceTime‌ video call, don't worry about your own image in the corner of the screen. This is automatically removed from the Live Photo that's saved in your ‌Photos‌ Library, along with any other interface elements.

Popular Stories

airpods translate

AirPods Live Translation Blocked for EU Users With EU Apple Accounts

Thursday September 11, 2025 4:01 am PDT by
Apple's new Live Translation feature for AirPods will be off-limits to millions of European users when it arrives next week, with strict EU regulations likely holding back its rollout. Apple says on its feature availability webpage that "Apple Intelligence: Live Translation with AirPods" won't be available if both the user is physically in the EU and their Apple Account region is in the EU....
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Models Are eSIM-Only in These Countries

Tuesday September 9, 2025 12:23 pm PDT by
Apple continues to phase out the physical SIM card tray on iPhones, with the latest models relying solely on eSIM technology in more countries. The new iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max support eSIMs only in these countries and regions, according to Apple: Bahrain Canada Guam Japan Kuwait Mexico Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Un...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Didn't Pre-Order a New iPhone Yet? Here's How Long the Wait is Now

Friday September 12, 2025 6:11 am PDT by
iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air pre-orders began at 5 a.m. Pacific Time in the U.S. and many other countries today. If you have yet to place a pre-order, you might face a longer wait now, depending on your desired configuration. As of shortly after 6 a.m. Pacific Time today, nearly all iPhone 17 Pro Max configurations on Apple's online store in the U.S. are facing ...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro: Release Date and Pre-Orders

Wednesday September 10, 2025 12:30 am PDT by
Apple held its annual iPhone event on Tuesday, September 9, to unveil the iPhone 17, ultra-thin iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. All of the new iPhone models will be available to pre-order starting Friday, September 12 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time / 8 a.m. Eastern Time in the U.S. and dozens of other countries, according to Apple. The release date for the devices is one week...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

Skipping the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday September 10, 2025 8:33 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. If you are skipping the iPhone 17 Pro and want to know about what to expect from the iPhone 18 Pro models, we have recapped a few of the key rumors below. Under-Screen Face ID In April 2023, display industry analyst Ross Young shared a...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Apple Announces iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max With New Design, Larger Battery, and More

Tuesday September 9, 2025 10:59 am PDT by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Both devices feature a new aluminum unibody design, with the Ceramic Shield now protecting both the front and back sides. Apple says the front side is now Ceramic Shield 2, which offers 3x better scratch resistance, while the rear Ceramic Shield is advertised as 4x more resistant to cracks compared to the back glass on previous...
iphone 17 pro dark blue

The Camera Plateau: What's New With the iPhone 17 Pro Cameras

Wednesday September 10, 2025 3:53 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, Apple introduced a new design for the rear of the device. Instead of a camera bump, we now have a camera plateau that spans almost the entire back of the iPhone. The camera plateau houses an upgraded camera system that includes a revamped Telephoto lens. All three of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max cameras are 48 megapixels, and there are five zoom...
better iphone 17 lineup

Apple Lists iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17 Pro Battery Capacities

Tuesday September 9, 2025 1:25 pm PDT by
Apple has confirmed the battery capacities for the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models that were announced earlier today. Apple is required to publish energy labels on its iPhone product pages in the EU, and they reveal the official mAh battery capacities for the devices. Here are the battery capacities for each model, according to Apple: iPhone 17:...