FaceTime has become an indispensable tool for connecting with friends, family, and colleagues. This popular video calling service offers a variety of features, including the ability to capture Live Photos during calls. While this can be a fun way to preserve memories, you might prefer to disable this feature for privacy reasons or simply to avoid unwanted photo captures. If you’re wondering how to prevent others from taking Live Photos of you during FaceTime calls, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will walk you through the simple steps to turn off FaceTime Photos on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, giving you control over your visual privacy during video conversations.
Disabling FaceTime Live Photos on iPhone and iPad
Controlling whether Live Photos can be captured during your FaceTime calls on your iPhone or iPad is straightforward and managed within the Settings app. Here’s how to disable this feature in just a few taps:
- Open the Settings app directly from your home screen.
- Scroll down and tap on FaceTime to access its settings.
- Locate the FaceTime Live Photos option, usually found towards the bottom of the FaceTime settings menu. You’ll see a toggle switch next to it.
- Tap the toggle switch to the gray “off” position. When the toggle is gray, FaceTime Live Photos is disabled, meaning others will not be able to capture Live Photos of you during FaceTime calls, and you won’t be able to capture Live Photos of them either.
FaceTime Disabled Live Photo iPhone
By turning off this setting, you ensure that your FaceTime calls remain photo-free from unexpected captures, providing an added layer of privacy during your conversations.
How to Capture Live Photos on FaceTime (If Enabled)
If you decide to keep FaceTime Live Photos enabled, or if you are curious how the feature works, capturing a Live Photo during a call is also very simple. During an active FaceTime call on your iPhone or iPad, just look for the capture button at the bottom of your screen. If you don’t see it immediately, tap anywhere on the screen, and the call controls, including the capture button, will appear. Tapping this button will snap a Live Photo of the call. Keep in mind that if the person you are calling has disabled Live Photos on their device, you will receive a notification indicating that they do not allow Live Photos to be captured.
FaceTime Capture Live Photo iPhone
Turning Off FaceTime Live Photos on Mac
If you primarily use FaceTime on your Mac, you can also disable the Live Photos feature directly from the FaceTime application preferences. The process is just as simple as on iOS and iPadOS:
- Open the FaceTime application on your Mac.
- In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click on FaceTime, then select Preferences from the dropdown menu.
- In the Preferences window, click on the Settings tab, located at the top of the window.
- Look for the option that says Allow Live Photos to be captured during Video calls. It will be a checkbox. To disable the feature, uncheck this box.
By unchecking this setting, you prevent others from capturing Live Photos of you during FaceTime calls on your Mac, and you will also be unable to capture Live Photos of others.
How to Capture Live Photos on FaceTime on Mac (If Enabled)
Similar to iPhone and iPad, capturing a Live Photo on Mac is easy if the feature is enabled for both parties. While in a FaceTime call on your Mac, simply click the capture button. If you don’t initially see the button, click anywhere on the call window, and the controls, including the capture button, will become visible. Click this button to take a Live Photo. If the person you are calling has disabled Live Photos, a message will appear, informing you that they need to enable the setting for Live Photos to be captured.
FaceTime Capture Live Photo Mac
In conclusion, managing FaceTime Live Photos is a straightforward process across all Apple devices. Whether you value the ability to capture spontaneous moments or prioritize privacy during your video calls, Apple provides you with easy-to-use settings to turn off FaceTime photos and control this feature according to your preferences.
