Apple’s Group FaceTime video calls aren’t available on some older iPhones, iPads

Apple

• FaceTime can now support
  video chats for up to 32 participants, thanks to the iOS
  12.1 update that was released earlier this week.
• However,
  Apple’s website reveals a catch: users with iPhones older
  than the iPhone 6s and certain iPad models won’t be able to
  broadcast video, thought they’ll still be able to communicate
  with audio.

The
latest update to Apple devices lets you FaceTime with up to
31 other people simultaneously, but some older generation iPhones
and iPads will miss out.

To participate in group FaceTime calls, your device must be an
iPhone 6s or later, iPad Pro or later, iPad Air 2, or iPad Mini
4. The caveat on Apple website’s
guide to using Group FaceTime was discovered
by MacRumors.

If you have an earlier model of an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch,
you can still join in as an audio-only participant.

The ability to group video chat is a feature of iOS 12.1, which
was made available for Apple devices on October 30. The
upgraded FaceTime also includes face and lens filters,
stickers, and Animoji and Memoji.

Group FaceTime was initially supposed to launch with Apple’s iOS
12, which
was released to iPhones and iPads in September. However,

Apple said in August it was delaying the feature’s release,
and that group chat would “ship in a future software update
later this fall.”

The ability to group video chat has already been widely
available through other apps, including Google Hangout,
Snapchat, Skype, WhatsApp, and

Houseparty (which hit its viral peak in 2016).

You can update to the latest version of iOS by going to
Settings > General >
Software Update.