How to use Grid View in FaceTime with iOS 15
The introduction of group FaceTime was a revolution for virtual group hangouts everywhere. But the group FaceTime interface was a bit confusing, with randomly sized bubbles floating around, and no clear indication of who was speaking.
FaceTime on iOS 15, which launched on Sept. 20, 2021, has given us the gift of Grid View, which solves this small but annoying problem. Turning on Grid View sorts your video chat participants into neat squares across your screen, and a white outline appears around the box of whoever is talking.
The best part? All of the navigation is right in the FaceTime interface itself, and won't require you to exit the call to rummage around in your phone settings.
To activate Grid Mode, make sure you're in a group FaceTime.
Grid Mode is technically available on solo FaceTimes too, but it literally doesn't look any different. To get the full effect, make sure you're in a FaceTime with at least three other people.
We assume everyone here knows how to make a FaceTime group. But in case you need a little refresher, here it is: You can either pull up your favorite group chat and just hit the FaceTime icon in the upper right corner to video call everyone in the chat, or head to your FaceTime app, tap "New FaceTime," and input whoever you'd like to call.
Once on the call, tap on the screen to pull up the tool bar.
At the top of your screen you'll see the various settings you can mess with, like mute, video on/off, and SharePlay. Above all of the settings should be the name of the call (if made via a FaceTime link) or the names of the people in the call. Tap that, and you should see additional call settings on a new screen.
Tap on "Grid Layout," and the button should turn white.
If the button turns opaque and white, you have successfully turned Grid View on. Tap "Done," and enjoy your perfectly organized group FaceTime call.
Grid View won't stay on for all of your group calls automatically, which is a tad irksome if you find you like this view significantly better. If you for some reason prefer the chaotic bubbles, you can always return to the call settings and turn the feature back off.
This article originally published and in July 2021 and was updated in Sept. 2021.
Topics iPhone
Jennimai is a tech reporter at Mashable covering digital culture, social media, and how we interact with our everyday tech. She also hosts Mashable’s Snapchat Discover channel and TikTok, so she naturally spends way too much time scrolling the FYP and thinking about iPhones.
