With macOS Monterey, Apple brought several enhancements to FaceTime, including the ability to blur your background on a call. However, this only works if you’re using a Mac with an M1, M1 Pro, or M1 Pro Max processor.
If you have such a system, here’s how to blur your background using FaceTime’s new Portrait Mode.
Three quick steps to background blur
1. Launch FaceTime.
![Launch FaceTime](https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Launch-FaceTime.jpg)
2. Click the Control Center icon in the menu bar.
![Click the Control Center](https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Click-the-Control-Center-icon-.jpg)
3. Choose Video Effects > Portrait Mode.
![FaceTime background blurred](https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Blurred-background.jpg)
Now other folks on a FaceTime call will see your mug just fine, but the app will blur your background. Just like in a Portrait mode photo on an iPhone. Pretty cool, eh?
Other new FaceTime features
Other improvements in FaceTime on macOS Monterey include:
- Spatial audio, which makes voices sound like they come from the direction of a speaker on the screen in a Group FaceTime call
- Voice Isolation, which blocks background noises so your voice is crystal clear
- Wide Spectrum, which brings every sound in your space into the call
- Grid view, which displays people in same-size tiles and highlights the active speaker
- Call Links for inviting friends to calls on Apple, Android, or Windows devices
Now if only Apple would make FaceTime cross-platform, as was once promised! That would increase the app’s popularity.
Got here from a newsletter and it was supposed to be making QR codes.
Oops! I am sorry you encountered an incorrect link. You probably ended up locating the correct post, but here is the link just in case: https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/80498-sharing-wi-fi-settings-easily-with-qr-codes/. Thanks for letting us know. Cheers, Tara
Hi Dennis, unfortunately when I click on the article to create a wifi QR code a story about blurring your face on a face time call comes up.
Looks like it has been resolved. Thanks so much for letting us know!