How to set up a FaceTime call in advance

Among the many new features introduced with iOS 15 and macOS Monterey, Apple added the ability to schedule meetings on FaceTime. Here’s how to set up a call ahead of time on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

To access the new FaceTime capabilities you’ll need to ensure your device is running either iOS 15, iPadOS 15 or macOS Monterey. We’ve already written guides on how to update your device, so take a look at how to update iOS on your iPhone, how to get iPadOS 15 on your iPad and how to update macOS to move your Apple device to the latest version of its operating system.

How to schedule a FaceTime call on iOS 15 and iPadOS 15

To pre-schedule a FaceTime call you need to follow these steps:

1. Open the Apple Calendar app.
2. Tap the ‘+‘ button to create a new appointment.
3. Give the appointment a name, such as ‘FaceTime with Karen’.
4. Set up the time and date when you want it to take place.
5. Tap the Location or Video Call field.
6. Select FaceTime.
7. Tap Add.
8. Open the appointment that now appears in your Calendar.
9. Tap the Share option in the top right corner and send the invite to the participant(s).
10. When the scheduled meeting time arrives, go to the calendar, open up the appointment and tap Join.

For more tips on getting the most out of Apple’s communication service, read how to use FaceTime on iPhone and iPad.

How to schedule a FaceTime call on the Mac

To set up a FaceTime call ahead of time on your Mac, here’s what you need to do:

1. Open Apple’s Calendar app.
2. Double click on the square for the day you want to schedule the meeting.
3. In the box that appears give the appointment a name.
4. Click the Video camera icon to the right of the Location or Video Call field.
5. Select FaceTime.
6. Set up the correct time for the call.
7. Click Add Invitees and enter the email addresses of those you want to invite.
8. When the FaceTime meeting is due, click the Join button to begin.

You can find more tips in our how to use FaceTime on Mac guide.

If you’re intending to include people who don’t use Apple devices or want to have an impromptu meeting with them rather than a scheduled one, you can read our guide on how to FaceTime call an Android user. Alternatively, if you want to talk with several people at once, then read how to make group FaceTime calls.