Use Reactions, Presenter Overlay and other effects when video conferencing on Mac
macOS includes a variety of video and audio features that you can use in FaceTime and many other video-conferencing apps.
Reactions
Requires macOS Sonoma or later on a Mac with Apple silicon, or macOS Sonoma or later on a Mac using Continuity Camera with iPhone 12 or later
Reactions fill your video frame with a 3D effect expressing how you feel. To show a reaction, make the appropriate hand gesture in view of the camera and away from your face. Hold the gesture until you see the effect.
To turn this feature on or off, choose Reactions in the Video menu
, which will appear in the menu bar when a video call is in progress. To show a reaction without using a hand gesture, click the arrow
next to Reactions in the menu, then click a reaction button in the submenu.
Hearts
To show red hearts, use two hands to make a heart sign. Or click the Hearts button
in the Reactions submenu.
Balloons
To show balloons, make a victory sign (peace sign). Or click the Balloons button
in the Reactions submenu.
Thumbs Up
To show a thumbs up emoji, hold one thumb up. Or click the Thumbs Up button
in the Reactions submenu.
Thumbs Down
To show a thumbs down emoji, hold one thumb down. Or click the Thumbs Down button
in the Reactions submenu.
Rain
To show stormy rain, hold both of your thumbs down. Or click the Rain button
in the Reactions submenu.
Confetti
To show confetti, make two victory signs (peace signs). Or click the Confetti button
in the Reactions submenu.
Fireworks
To show fireworks, hold both of your thumbs up. Or click the Fireworks button
in the Reactions submenu.
Lasers
To show laser beams, make the sign of the horns ?? on each hand. Or click the Lasers button
in the Reactions submenu.
Presenter Overlay
Requires macOS Sonoma or later on a Mac with Apple silicon
Presenter Overlay elevates your presence by including you on top of the content you’re sharing when on a video call.
Presenter Overlay: Large
The large overlay keeps you prominent while your shared screen is framed next to you — even when using Center Stage. Your room will appear in the background (virtual backgrounds are disabled), and you can walk, talk and move in front of the screen.
Use the screen-sharing feature of your video app to share a screen.
From the screen-sharing menu
in the menu bar, click Large 
. Use the video preview in this menu to confirm that the effect is working and see what your viewers see. To move the shared screen to the other side of you, move your cursor over the video preview, then click the button with the opposing arrows
in the bottom right-hand corner of the preview.
Presenter Overlay: Small
The small overlay shows your face in a movable bubble, which gives more space to the screen you’re sharing. You can point to important details.
Use the screen-sharing feature of your video app to share a screen.
From the screen-sharing menu
in the menu bar, click Small
.To move the bubble, drag it to any position in your video window (not in the preview window).
To turn Presenter Overlay on or off quickly, you can set up a keyboard shortcut: Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Keyboard in the sidebar, then click Keyboard Shortcuts on the right. Click Presenter Overlay, then assign keyboard shortcuts on the right.
Centre Stage
Use Centre Stage to keep you centred in the camera frame
Desk View
Use Desk View to show your face and desk on camera
Portrait Mode
Requires a Mac laptop with Apple silicon using the built-in camera, or a Mac using Continuity Camera with iPhone XR or later
Portrait mode blurs the background to keep the focus on you.
In macOS Sonoma or later, choose Portrait from the Video menu
in the menu bar. To change the amount of background blur, click the arrow next to Portrait, then use the slider.In macOS Ventura, click Control Centre
in the menu bar, click Video Effects, then click Portrait.
Studio Light
Requires macOS Sonoma or later on a Mac laptop with Apple silicon using the built-in camera, or macOS Sonoma or later on a Mac using Continuity Camera with iPhone 12 or later
Studio light dims the background and illuminates your face, without relying on external lighting. Studio Light is great for difficult lighting situations, like backlit scenes in front of a window.
In macOS Sonoma or later, choose Studio Light from the Video menu
in the menu bar. To adjust the intensity of this effect, click the arrow next to Studio Light, then use the slider.In macOS Ventura, click Control Centre
in the menu bar, click Video Effects, then click Studio Light.
Background replacement
Requires macOS Sequoia or later on a Mac with Apple silicon, or macOS Sequoia or later on a Mac using Continuity Camera with iOS 18 or later on an iPhone 12 or later
Use a virtual background to enhance your privacy, present a more professional appearance or suit the occasion. Virtual backgrounds are disabled when using the large Presenter Overlay.
Choose Background from the Video menu
in the menu bar. Click the background preview in the menu to choose a colour, built-in image or image of your own.
Manual framing adjustment
Requires macOS Sonoma or later and any of these devices: A Mac using the built-in camera of an Apple Studio Display, a MacBook Pro introduced in 2024 or later using its built-in camera, an iMac introduced in 2024 or later using its built-in camera, or a Mac using Continuity Camera with iPhone XR or later
If you’re using Centre Stage, make sure it’s turned off (dimmed) in the Video menu
.Move your cursor over the video preview in the Video menu
, then make these adjustments:Zoom: The zoom control is a series of tick marks showing the zoom level, from 3x zoomed in to 0.5x zoomed out. Drag the control left or right to adjust zoom.
Pan: When zoomed in, drag the image within the preview window to change its position in the frame.
Recentre: Click the Recentre button to position your face in the centre of the frame.
Mic modes
In macOS Sonoma or later, click Mic Mode from the Video menu or Audio menu
in the menu bar, then choose a mic mode. In macOS Ventura or macOS Monterey, click Control Centre in the menu bar, then click Mic Mode. Choose from the following mic modes:
Voice Isolation
Voice Isolation
gives priority to your voice and minimises the sounds of traffic, dogs barking and other background noise around you.
Wide Spectrum
Wide Spectrum
captures your voice as well as the sound around you, such as the sound of music or nature.
Spatial Audio
Spatial Audio makes the voices you hear sound like they’re coming from the direction in which each person is positioned on the screen. It's available on these Mac models when using an app that supports Spatial Audio:
Mac models with Apple silicon, if using the internal speakers, wired headphones or AirPods
Intel-based Mac laptop models introduced in 2018 or later, if using the internal speakers or wired headphones
Intel-based iMac models introduced in 2018 or later, if using wired headphones
Find out what to do if Spatial Audio is unavailable in FaceTime while using your keyboard, mouse or trackpad.
