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Apple delays FaceTime group chats from iOS 12 to a ‘future software update’

Apple delays FaceTime group chats from iOS 12 to a ‘future software update’

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Apple is delaying its FaceTime group chats feature. While FaceTime group chats were originally scheduled for the iOS 12 release, developer Guilherme Rambo has revealed the feature has been removed in the latest iOS 12 beta 7 release today. “Group FaceTime has been removed from the initial release of iOS 12,” reads a note from Apple to developers, posted by Rambo. Apple says the feature “will ship in a future software update later this fall.”

Group FaceTime chats will allow 32 participants in a video call, with tiles of people’s faces where you can manually select people to highlight them in the main interface. Apple’s delay to group FaceTime chats comes after the company delayed its AirPlay 2 introduction in iOS. Apple is late to group video chats with FaceTime, and WhatsApp just launched its own group video calling feature that supports up to four people in a video call. Facebook’s own Messenger app also supports group video chats, alongside Skype and others.