【Thriller Archives】

If you're my best friend,Thriller Archives I'm happy to FaceTime you from my most unflattering angle. In fact, I insist on it. But if I'm meeting someone for the first time via video chat, then I'm looking for the best lighting and probably staring at my own little square more than whoever's on the other end.

With iOS 15, the iPhone's latest software update, we all get one more FaceTime trick to feed our egos and look our best: Portrait Mode. Apple officially released iOS 15 on Sept. 20, 2021.

OK, yes, technically Portrait Mode only changes your background and not your actual face. But something about that smoothed-out scene behind you makes everyone look a little better. Think about how good your Portrait Mode photos look!

Whether you're going on a first date via FaceTime or making a more professional video call, turning on Portrait Mode in FaceTime is worth it and super simple.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Choose your video-chatting partner

This button is going to encourage me to FaceTime my friends when they're not replying to my texts... Credit: screenshot: apple

On iOS 15, you FaceTime call someone the same ways you always have: Pull up their contact card, find their contact info via iMessage, or go straight into the FaceTime app. There is one slight change: Now when you pull up your texts with someone, the FaceTime icon will display to the right of their name, making FaceTime calls even easier.

Tap on your video feed during calls

Bigger picture of me! Amazing for my already huge ego. Credit: screenshot: apple

A small window of your video feed should appear in the lower righthand corner as it usually does on FaceTime, although the iOS 15 version seems a bit bigger than the previous version.

Oh, look. It only gets bigger. Credit: screenshot: apple

When you tap on it, it should get even bigger and display four icons in each corner: Portrait Mode, minimize, effects, and camera view.

Turn on Portrait Mode

Bada bing, bada boom. Bring on the blur. Credit: screenshot: apple

Tap on the icon in the upper left corner of your video feed, and presto! Your background should immediately blur, effectively hiding any garish details and making your gorgeous face the center of attention.

This article originally published and in June 2021 and was updated in Sept. 2021.

Related Video: 5 game-changing iPhone hacks for 2021

Topics iPhone

• Life
• Science
• Games
• Social Good
• Tech
• Shopping
• Deals
• Digital Culture

• Best robot vacuum deal: Save $200 on Eufy X10 Pro Omni robot vacuum
• Macron finally speaks out about the Trump handshake: "it wasn't innocent"
• 'What A Day' host Akilah Hughes on civil rights activist Constance Baker Motley
• Facebook users can now archive or trash old posts in bulk
• Ryzen 5 1600X vs. 1600: Which should you buy?
• Change.org just got a $30 million investment to expand petitions into real social movements
• John Oliver's deep dive into the police is as grim as it is eye
• Apps for finding black
• Watch how an old Venus spacecraft tumbled before crashing to Earth
• Hillary Clinton subtly mocks Trump about his inauguration crowd and, oh, it feels so good

• Books about consumerism and climate change to buy on Amazon Prime Day
• Everything we know about 'House of the Dragon' Season 2
• New Beats Headphones 2024: Get the Beats Solo 4 for $199 at Amazon
• Ehang secures first industry approval for fully autonomous passenger
• Elon Musk's tweet about Mars is confusing the internet
• Sassuolo vs. Inter Milan 2024 livestream: Watch Serie A live for free
• Best Lego deal: Get Star Wars Lego sets up to 30% off at Amazon
• We're fracking the hell out of the U.S. Can Jay Inslee stop it?
• RCB vs. GT 2024 livestream: Watch IPL for free
• JD emphasizes “genuinely low prices” ahead of Singles Day · TechNode

• Gods of War
• The Trump campaign basically used Google to vet advisers and hoped for the best
• Own an Echo Look? It stops working on July 24.
• On the anniversary of Harambe's death, the internet grieves with memes
• NYT mini crossword answers for May 12, 2025
• Microsoft's AI makes racist error and then publishes stories about it
• Curfews have a disturbing racist history
• Trump’s strangest moments overseas: Steak, swords, and one orb to rule them all
• Best Hydro Flask deal: Save $10 on a 24
• Shiba Inu dog: Yes, fidget spinners 'are' evil

• Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: $40 off at Amazon
• Lawfare: A wonky blog has become required reading in Trump's America
• There's mounting evidence that iPhone 12 won't launch in September
• Shiba Inu dog: Yes, fidget spinners 'are' evil
• NYT Connections hints and answers for May 18: Tips to solve 'Connections' #707.
• The movement behind the rose emoji that you probably don't know about
• Ivanka Trump's blog tweets something dumber than her father on Memorial Day
• How to plan out your whole summer movie season during lockdown
• Best portable power station deal: Save $179.01 on the EcoFlow River 2 Max
• Bromance for the ages: Trudeau and Macron stroll in an Italian garden