Adding a person to an active FaceTime call

If you are already on a FaceTime call and want to bring in another person, swipe up from the bottom of your screen to reveal the control panel. Look for the add person button — it looks like a silhouette with a plus sign. Tap it, then search for the contact by name or phone number. When you find them, tap their name to send the invite. They will receive a notification that you have added them to the call, and once they accept, they appear on your screen.

On a Mac, move your cursor to the top of the FaceTime window during an active call. Click the add participant button (the plus sign in a circle), then type the name or number of the person you want to add. Select them from the results and they will be invited to join.

The person you are adding does not need to have FaceTime open already. They will get a notification on their device, and they can join from there. If they do not respond within a few minutes, you can try adding them again or reaching out through another method to let them know.

Key Takeaways

  • Swipe up on iPhone or iPad during a call to find the add person button, which looks like a silhouette with a plus sign.
  • On Mac, move your cursor to the top of the FaceTime window and click the plus sign to add a participant.
  • Search for the contact by their name or phone number, then tap or click their name to send the invite.
  • The person you add will receive a notification and can join the call from their device without needing to open FaceTime first.
  • FaceTime calls can include up to 32 people at once, though the exact limit depends on your device and iOS version.

What happens when you add someone mid-call

When you add a person to a call that is already in progress, everyone on the call sees a notification that a new person has been invited. The new person does not see the video from before they joined — they only see the call from the moment they accept the invite. This means if you were discussing something important before adding them, you may need to catch them up verbally once they join.

If the person you are trying to add is not in your contacts, you can still invite them by typing their phone number or email address directly into the search field. This works as long as they have an Apple device with FaceTime enabled and that phone number or email registered to their account.

Troubleshooting when the add person button does not appear

If you cannot find the add person button on your iPhone or iPad, make sure you are swiping up from the very bottom of the screen — not from the sides. The control panel should slide up from below. If it still does not appear, check that you are on an active call and not in the FaceTime app's main menu.

On older iPhone models or earlier iOS versions, the button may be in a different location. Try tapping the screen once during the call to make sure the controls are visible, then look for a button that shows a plus sign or says "add participant." If your device does not have this feature, it may be too old to support group FaceTime calls — FaceTime group calling requires iOS 12.1 or later on iPhone, or macOS 10.14.1 or later on Mac.

If you are on the right iOS version and the button still will not appear, try ending the call and starting a new one. Sometimes restarting FaceTime fixes temporary glitches. You can also restart your device if the problem continues.

Adding multiple people at once

You do not have to add people one at a time. After you tap the add person button, you can search for and select multiple contacts before anyone joins. Type the first person's name, tap them, then search for the next person without closing the search field. Repeat this for as many people as you want to invite, and they will all receive invitations at the same time.

Keep in mind that FaceTime calls with many people can use more data and battery power. If you are on a limited data plan or your device is running low on battery, adding too many people at once may cause the call to slow down or drop.

Starting a group call from the beginning instead

If you know ahead of time that you want multiple people on the call, it is often easier to start a group FaceTime rather than adding people one by one. Open FaceTime, tap the compose button (the pencil and square icon), then search for and select all the people you want to invite before you start the call. This way, everyone gets invited at the same time and the call begins once the first person accepts.

Starting a group call this way also lets you give the call a name if you want — useful if you are organizing a regular meeting with the same group. Once you create a named group, you can start a call with those people again in the future without having to search for each person individually.

When someone cannot join the call you added them to

If you added someone but they do not appear on the call after a few minutes, they may not have seen the notification yet, or they may have declined it. Check that their phone number or email address was correct when you searched for them. If you made a typo, they would not have received an invite at all.

The person you are trying to add might also have FaceTime turned off in their settings, or they might not have an Apple device. FaceTime only works between Apple devices — you cannot add someone with an Android phone or a Windows computer to a FaceTime call. If they have an Apple device but FaceTime is not working, ask them to check their Settings app, go to FaceTime, and make sure the toggle is turned on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add someone to a FaceTime call if they are not in my contacts?

Yes. Tap the add person button and type their phone number or email address directly into the search field. As long as that number or email is registered to an Apple device with FaceTime enabled, they will receive the invite.

What is the maximum number of people I can add to one FaceTime call?

FaceTime supports up to 32 people in a single call on most devices. The exact limit depends on your device model and iOS version, but 32 is the standard for current devices.

Do I need the person's permission before I add them to a call?

You do not need permission beforehand, but they will receive a notification and can choose to accept or decline the invite. If they decline, they will not join the call.

Can I add someone to a FaceTime call if they have an Android phone?

No. FaceTime only works between Apple devices. If someone has an Android phone or a Windows computer, they cannot join a FaceTime call, even if you invite them.

What happens if I add someone by mistake?

Once you send an invite, you cannot unsend it. However, the person can decline the invitation, and they will not join the call. If they do join by mistake, you can remove them by tapping their video tile and selecting the remove option.