Another person can join your FaceTime call without you ending the conversation. On current iPhone software, open More > Add People during a one-to-one call, or tap the participant count and Add People during a group call.
Enter their FaceTime phone number or email address, then tap Add People to invite them. To start a new group instead, use New Call and select the people you want before calling.
In this guide
Add someone while the call is already running
Keep the FaceTime conversation open. Tap once if the call controls aren't visible. In a one-to-one call, tap More, then Add People. The More control is the menu for extra call actions.
In an existing group call, tap the participant count near the screen's top, then tap Add People. This opens the invitation field without disconnecting the people already talking.
Type the person's name, phone number or email address. Choose the right person from Contacts, or use the Add Contact control to select someone. You can select several people before sending the invitations.
Tap Add People to finish. Choosing a contact doesn't send the invitation; tapping that final button does. The person still needs to answer or join before they become part of the live conversation.
Apple says a Group FaceTime call supports up to 32 participants. That's the total in the call, so include yourself when counting available places.
Ask the new participant to check their device for the incoming FaceTime notification. If they don't appear right away, they may simply not have answered yet. It doesn't always mean the invitation failed to send.
Use the controls that match an older iPhone layout
Current iPhone instructions use New Call for a new conversation and the More or participant-count menus during a call. Earlier versions may show New FaceTime for the starting button, with a different arrangement for call details.
On older layouts, tap the screen, open the call's participant details near the top, and look for Add People. Follow the visible label rather than hunting for a button in the exact location shown on a newer iPhone.
If you're unsure which software is installed, open Settings > General > About and read iOS Version. Check that version when your call controls look different from the instructions you're following.
Don't switch to the cellular Phone app's Add Call button. That joins ordinary phone calls through a carrier and isn't the same procedure as adding a participant to FaceTime.
If FaceTime itself is unavailable rather than just differently arranged, use the FaceTime availability checks. Restrictions and regional availability need attention before a group invitation can work.
Start with several people instead of adding them later
Open the FaceTime app and tap New Call. Enter the names, numbers or email addresses of the intended recipients. You can also choose suggested contacts or open Contacts with the add control.
Check each selected recipient before placing the call. One contact may have several saved addresses. Their active FaceTime address can differ from the number you text.
Tap FaceTime to start a video call, or choose the FaceTime audio control for an audio call. Participants can answer at different times while the conversation gets started.
If the older app shows New FaceTime, use that starting button instead. Select the people you want, check their addresses, then choose the kind of FaceTime call you want.
A group message isn't required before creating this call. Adding people to FaceTime also doesn't create a new saved contact for each person automatically. Your saved contacts and the list of people in the call are separate.
I'd confirm the new person's FaceTime address before repeatedly calling them. Correcting one old number is more useful than rebuilding a group that the existing participants can use.
Add a contact when the person isn't in the address book
An existing contact isn't required to invite someone: enter their FaceTime phone number or email address directly in the invitation field. Ask which address they receive FaceTime calls on if the first one doesn't work.
To save them for later, open Contacts, tap the plus button, enter their name and phone number or email, then tap Done. Return to FaceTime and choose that saved entry when making the invitation.
Saving an address on your iPhone doesn't register it for FaceTime on their device. They must have FaceTime working with that number or email at their end. Ask them to check before changing their contact card on your phone.
On recent iOS, they can review reachable addresses in Settings > Apps > FaceTime. On older versions, FaceTime has its own entry directly in Settings. Compare the address there with the one you're inviting.
If individual FaceTime calls also fail, the iPhone FaceTime connection guide covers internet access and activation. Fix that basic calling problem before trying to build a larger group.
Invite an Android or Windows participant with a link
A person on Android or Windows joins FaceTime through a shared call link in a supported browser. They don't gain the iPhone FaceTime app by saving their number in Contacts.
Create the link from FaceTime on the Apple device using its link-sharing control, then send it to the person. This is a separate invitation route from choosing an Apple participant's registered FaceTime address.
They open the link in a current Chrome or Edge browser, enter their name and choose Continue. They may need to allow microphone and camera access before selecting Join.
Someone on an Apple device must let them into the call. Keep the call open and watch for the joining request. If they're waiting to be let in, their network connection may be working fine.
The browser route has fewer features than FaceTime on Apple devices. For the complete invitation and admission sequence, follow the Android FaceTime link guide rather than trying the iPhone's Add People button on the Android phone.
Check a missing invitation, then leave the call normally
Confirm the recipient's address and whether a one-to-one FaceTime call reaches it. If it does, check the group size and ask the person to watch for the group notification while you invite them once more.
Group FaceTime isn't offered in every country or region. When the feature remains unavailable, use Apple Support through the FaceTime help page and provide your iOS version, region and whether individual calls succeed.
To leave, tap End in the call controls or Leave in the participant list. The conversation can continue for the people who remain, so you don't need to end the conversation for the other participants.
The Short Version
During a one-to-one call, open More > Add People. During a group call, tap the people count > Add People. Choose the correct FaceTime address and send the invitation. For a new group, select the recipients through New Call first.
Checked November 10, 2026.
