At WWDC, Apple touted new features for FaceTime, creating new buzz for developers interested in real-time communications. Starting now, FaceTime will be supporting group video calls for up to 32 participants- a considerable update. The service is now integrated with the iMessage app, so users can seamlessly move from text chat to video chat. Adding extensive filters and emojis to the platform allows further engagement options for both users and developers. It also allows Apple to stay on par with similar competition.

Another added feature to Facetime is the ability to gauge which participant is currently speaking. To provide a better user experience, the video window of the actively speaking participant is enlarged. The design is similar to Google Hangouts, but cleaner and closer to Apple’s design ethos.

Excitement has been brewing at numerous conferences in recent years over hot new features associated with video calling. Today we’re going to run through some of the most interesting ones and explain how we can implement them using the Agora RTC SDK.