E-Books →Take Control of FaceTime and Messages

Version 1.0, published June 21, 2022
Dig into FaceTime, Messages, and Phone from the basics through the most advanced and interesting features available, including screen sharing, group calls, and sending rich messages inTake Control of FaceTime and Messages. This comprehensive book will answer every question, and reveal useful features you never knew existed.
FaceTime, Messages, and Phone form the core of Apple's video, texting, and call tools for owners of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches. As FaceTime and Messages have expanded features, they've become more complicated to master and use exactly the way you want. How they interact with the phone network and the Phone app can be a blurry line, too. In this book, Glenn Fleishman lays out your options to best understand, use, and customize FaceTime and Messages for your needs and conversations. Start by mastering (or reviewing) the basics of each app, then move into group calls and texts, using rich media, maintaining your privacy, and adding whimsy to conversations. Covers iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS.
The book covers all three apps (and the many ways they interact) extensively, showing you
How tomaster the basicsof theFaceTime, Messages, and PhoneappsEssentialsettings and preferencesfor these apps, including how to pick yourprimary address or phone numberandmanage location sharing, andmaintain your privacyWays toshare your screen(or let someone share theirs with you) in both FaceTime and Messages, and when to use whichHow toinsert the text of a signor other printed material in a message, or evendial a phone number by pointing your iPhone at a printed numberHow to have fun and get creative withMemoji, Message Effects, Camera Effects, stickers, and hashtag imagesHowApple secureslive audio, video, and textingStrategies and tools toidentify and blockunwanted phone calls and messages
You'll learn aboutFaceTimecapabilities such as
How to use FaceTime foraudio or video callswith one person or a group of up to 32 peopleWhy you might want to use aFaceTime Link, and how it can extend FaceTime toWindows and AndroidusersHow to work withaudio input and outputdevices in FaceTimeHow to useenhanced audio (Mic Mode) and video (Portrait Mode) effectsin FaceTime calls on supported devicesHow to use theEye Contactfeature on iPhones and iPads, which simulates eye-to-eye contact even when you're not looking at the cameraHow to useSharePlay, which lets parties carry on a FaceTime conversation while enjoying synchronized video, audio, or screen sharing (and even how to transfer SharePlay to an Apple TV)How to convert a FaceTimeaudio call to a video call
Find out things you never knew aboutMessages, including
Why some conversations in Messages useiMessage (blue bubbles for individuals, gray bubbles for businesses)while others useSMS/MMS (green bubbles), and the differences between themAll aboutadvanced Messages features, such as nested replies and person-to-person Apple PayWhy Messages isn't just for text, but also foraudio messages, Digital Touch effects, animations,and moreWays to keep track of shared links and media across apps withShared for YouThe privacy tradeoffs ofMessages in iCloudSimple ways tocreate events and remindersfrom Messages conversationsWhat to do whengroup chatsget out of control—managing notifications, using mentions, and understanding the differences between SMS and MMS chats
Make better use of thePhoneapp
How to makephone calls(includingemergency calls)from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple WatchWhat the"verified" labelon incoming phone calls means