Expressing yourself on FaceTime has never been easier. Since iOS 17 introduced FaceTime Gestures in September 2023, users have been able to trigger a range of on-screen effects during video calls.
FaceTime effects and hand motions enable users to trigger thumbs up, thumbs down, heart, fireworks, balloons, and rain reactions completely hands-free.
In our guide we’re going to look at how to use hand gestures on FaceTime for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Key Takeaways
- Apple first released FaceTime Gestures in September 2023 for iOS 17.
- Gestures allow users to trigger on-screen animations during video calls.
- There are different types of gestures including thumbs up, thumbs down, the peace sign, and more.
- Gestures are available for devices with at least iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma 14, and tvOS 17 or later.
- Users can access gestures via FaceTime or third-party apps like WhatsApp and Google Meet.
What Are FaceTime Hand Gestures?
FaceTime hand gesture is a feature for iPhone, iPad, and Mac where you can use hand gestures to trigger on-screen effects and 3D animations during FaceTime video calls. For instance, during a call, you can put your thumb up to activate a thumbs-up reaction or put your thumb down to set off a thumbs-down reaction.
Gestures or on-screen buttons can trigger eight reactions: hearts, thumbs up, thumbs down, balloons, rain, confetti, laser bursts, and fireworks.
It is also worth noting that FaceTime hand signals can activate reactions in other apps such as WhatsApp and Google Meet.
What FaceTime Gestures Are There?
There are many different FaceTime gestures to choose from:
How to Use FaceTime Hand Gestures
If you want to use FaceTime Hand Gestures, you will need a device with at least iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma 14, tvOS 17 or later. To begin, check that gestures are activated on your device.
You can do this for iOS 18 by following these simple steps:
- Open the Control Center.
- Click FaceTime controls.
- Make sure the Reactions button is highlighted.
The process may be different if you’re using another device or operating system (OS).
For example, to access gestures on iOS 17, you will need to:
- Open the Control Center.
- Tap Video Effects.
- Press the Reactions button.
You can find out more about how to use FaceTime hand gestures below.
How to Turn FaceTime Hand Gestures On/Off on iPhone and iPad

- To turn hand gestures on or off, you first need to be on a video call.
- Once you’ve started a call, swipe down from the top right-hand corner of the screen to access the Control Center.
- Tap Effects.
- Select or deselect the Reactions button.
- This will activate/deactivate the feature for the current app.
Turning FaceTime hand gesture effects on/off may differ depending on your device or operating system.
How to Turn FaceTime Hand Gestures On/Off on Mac
On Mac, you can activate or deactivate user reactions in the following way:
- Open FaceTime.
- Click on the FaceTime camera icon in the top right-hand corner of the Menu bar.
- Click on the FaceTime HD Camera drop-down menu, and click on the Reactions option. This will activate/deactivate the feature.
How to Use Reaction Buttons
FaceTime reaction gestures can also be activated manually via touch on your device. Simply hold your user tile in the video call and tap on your reaction of choice.
How to Disable FaceTime Gestures on iPhone and iPad
You can disable FaceTime gestures as follows:
- Load up a video call.
- Navigate to the Control Center by swiping down from the top right-hand corner.
- Tap Effects.
- Deselect the Reactions button. If the icon is illuminated, then reactions are on.
Deactivating reactions will disable the feature for the current app.
How to Disable FaceTime Gestures on Mac
You can disable gestures on Mac as follows:
- Open FaceTime.
- Click on the FaceTime camera icon in the top right hand side of the toolbar.
- Click on the FaceTime HD Camera drop-down.
- Clicking the Reactions option. Once again, if the icon is illuminated, then reactions are on.
4 Tools to Use for Enhancing FaceTime Hand Gestures
There are many different tools you could potentially use to improve the utility of FaceTime hand gestures:
The Bottom Line
Now you know how to use FaceTime hand gestures. While users are currently restricted to the core eight FaceTime hand motions, it’s possible that Apple will expand these further in the future.
Whether you want to use FaceTime or a video conferencing app like Google Meet or Zoom, you still have plenty of gestures to express yourself.