Recently, I was on a FaceTime call using iOS 15, and I needed to mute the other person but couldn’t figure out how. Can someone guide me on how to do this? It’s important for when calls get too noisy on the other end, and I can’t concentrate.
Hey, I get the frustration! Muting someone else directly on FaceTime isn’t a built-in feature in iOS 15, unfortunately. However, there are a few workarounds you can try to manage the noise from the other end.
One thing you can do is turn down the volume on your device. This won’t mute them completely but will reduce the noise level. You can also suggest to the person on the other end to mute themselves. They can do that by tapping the screen during the call, bringing up the menu, and tapping the microphone icon to mute themselves.
Another option, if the calls are too noisy regularly, consider using headphones with a microphone. This setup can help isolate sound and make the call sound less chaotic on your end. For instance, the AirPods Pro have active noise cancellation and can help in managing background noise.
If the issue persists and you find it’s too disruptive, maybe switch to another app that gives more control over participants, like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. These platforms allow hosts to mute participants, which might suit your needs better.
Remember, whenever on a noisy FaceTime call, communication is key. Politely asking the other person to mute themselves, if possible, will often be the best solution. Also, no harm in a little laugh about the situation afterwards—it’s bound to make everyone feel less awkward about the interruptions.
Hope this helps you manage those noisy FaceTime calls!
Turning down the volume isn’t a real solution. Imagine sitting there fumbling with volume buttons during a call—who’s got time for that? And asking the other person to mute themselves? Yeah, that’s going to work when you’re in the middle of a group call with kids screaming or dogs barking on the other end. 
Here’s an idea: maybe Apple should just add a mute feature for other participants in FaceTime? It’s 2023 and we still don’t have this basic functionality?? Look, switching to another app like Zoom or Teams just to mute someone is way too much hassle. Why load up a different app when you’re already on a call?
Headphones with noise cancellation sound like a band-aid solution. Sure, it might dampen the noise a bit, but it’s not gonna stop the chaos coming through the line. AirPods Pro? Yeah, they’re good and all, but expensive just to solve a one-off problem—spend wisely, folks.
Call me skeptical, but I’ll believe in these so-called “workarounds” when I see a real fix from Apple or they implement actual user-friendly features. Or we can just keep dreaming and waiting for iOS 30 where we might get what we need.
I totally get where you’re coming from. FaceTime not having the ability to mute other participants straight-up feels like a big oversight from Apple, given all the other robust features in iOS 15. But let’s be real, jerry-rigging makeshift solutions or relying on brand new apps shouldn’t be the go-to immediate fix. Here are some more unorthodox or less discussed methods you might find useful:
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Environmental Noise Control: If the other person is in a noisy environment, a simple suggestion for them to switch rooms might go a long way. It might sound trivial, but often there’s a quieter place nearby where they can continue the call.
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Signal Adjustments: You could also guide the other individual to adjust their microphone settings or even use another device with potentially better noise cancellation. Some people may not even realize they’re causing a cacophony and a gentle nudge to change environment or device can help.
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Spatial Audio Utilization: iOS 15 has introduced spatial audio for FaceTime which creates a more immersive experience by making voices sound like they’re coming from the direction in which the person is positioned on the screen. If enabled, it can sometimes help you identify specific sources of noise and better tune out the racket. You can enable this in the FaceTime settings under ‘Audio’ > ‘Spatial Audio.’
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Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum Modes: The Voice Isolation feature focuses your microphone on your voice and minimizes any background noise whilst Wide Spectrum mode does the opposite, capturing a wide range of sounds around you. While these settings primarily help your own outgoing audio, the person on the other side using Voice Isolation could really help. Have them turn it on by swiping down from the top-right corner (or double-clicking Home, depending on the device) to access the Control Center, tapping ‘Mic Mode,’ and selecting ‘Voice Isolation.’
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Feedback Software: Compiling these shortcomings and submitting frequent feedback to Apple can sometimes accelerate the process of feature updates. Although it might sound like a long shot, user feedback about the necessity for a mute participant option in FaceTime could be a valuable contribution to the development roadmap.
If all else fails and the scenario really demands an alternative solution, Switching Apps could still be the most robust way to manage participant controls effectively. While Zoom and Microsoft Teams have been mentioned, here are a couple of other apps you might not have considered:
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Discord: Known primarily for gaming, but its superior voice channels and mute capabilities can be particularly useful for managing group conversations.
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Google Meet: Similar to Zoom in functionality but integrates well if you are in the habit of using Google services, plus it has the added bonus of built-in noise cancellation.
Hardware Tweaks: If any of the above-mentioned workarounds just aren’t your cup of tea, some hardware solutions might be worth exploring. For instance, if you already have AirPods, you might want to leverage their tap features. Double tap an AirPod to play/pause media, which can quickly pause the conversation without fiddling too much.
Remember that in most cases, addressing the noisy environment from the other end more directly is the key. Sometimes a direct conversation about the issue is the simplest route to a resolution.
However, you look at it, it’s clear Apple has some catching up to do to meet users’ practical needs in communication. Whether by user noise isolation techniques or just better participant management features, one would hope that in future updates, this feedback is taken onboard and implemented. And until then, hopefully one of these methods will bring you a step closer to a quieter, less disrupted conversation.