Chapter 7
Getting Social with FaceTime, Twitter, and iMessage
Get ready to . . .
Accept and End a FaceTime Call
Use iMessage to Address, Create, and Send Messages
FaceTime is an excellent video-calling app that’s been available on the iPhone 4 since its release in mid-2010; it came later to iPad 2. The app lets you call people who have FaceTime on their devices — whether iPhone 4 or 4S, iPad 2, fourth-generation iPod touch, or Mac (running Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later) — using either a phone number (iPhone 4 and 4S) or an e-mail address (Mac, iPod touch, or iPad 2). You and your friend or family member can see each other as you talk, which makes for a much more personal calling experience.
Twitter is a social networking service referred to as a microblog, because it involves only short posted messages. Twitter has been incorporated into iOS 5 so you can “tweet” people from within the Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, and Maps apps. You can also download the free Twitter app and use it to post tweets whenever you like.
Finally, iMessage is a new feature in iOS 5 (available through the pre-installed Messages app) for instant messaging (IM). IM involves sending a text message to somebody’s iPhone (using their phone number) or iPod or iPad (using their e-mail address) to carry on an instant conversation.
In this chapter, I introduce you to FaceTime, Twitter, and iMessage and review their simple controls. In no time, you’ll be socializing with all and sundry.
Get an Overview of FaceTime
The FaceTime app, built into iOS 4.3 and later for use with the cameras built into the iPad 2, lets you call other folks who have a FaceTime device (iPhone 4 or 4S, iPad 2, a fourth-generation iPod touch, or a compatible Mac computer) and chat while sharing video images of each other. This pre-installed app is useful for seniors who want to keep up with distant family members and friends and see (as well as hear) the latest-and-greatest news.
At this point, you can make and receive calls with FaceTime using a phone number (iPhone 4 or 4S) or an e-mail account (iPad 2, iPod touch, or Mac) and show the person on the other end what’s going on around you. Just remember that you can’t adjust audio volume from within the app or record a video call. Nevertheless, on the positive side, even though its features are limited, this app is straightforward to use.
You can use your Apple ID and e-mail address to access FaceTime, so it works pretty much right away after you install it. See Chapter 3 for more about getting an Apple ID.
If you’re having trouble using FaceTime, make sure the FaceTime feature is turned on. That’s quick to do: Tap Settings on the Home screen, tap FaceTime, and then tap the On/Off button to turn it on, if necessary. You can also select the e-mail account that can be used to make phone calls to you on this Settings page.
Make a FaceTime Call
1. If you know that the person you’re calling has FaceTime on an iPhone 4 or 4S, an iPad 2, or a Mac, add that person to your iPad Contacts (see Chapter 18 for how to do this) if he or she isn’t already in there.
2. Tap the FaceTime app icon on the Home screen; on the screen that appears, tap the Contacts button in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
3. Scroll to locate a contact and tap the contact’s name to display his or her information (see Figure 7-1).
Figure 7-1
4. Tap on the contact’s stored phone number or e-mail address. You’ve just placed a FaceTime call!
You have to use the appropriate method for placing a FaceTime call, depending on the kind of device the person you’re calling has. If you’re calling an iPhone 4 or 4S user, you should use a phone number the first time you call and thereafter you can use the phone number or email address; if you’re calling an iPad 2, an iPod touch, or a FaceTime for Mac user, you have to make the call using that person’s e-mail address.
When you call somebody using an e-mail address, the person must be signed in to his or her Apple ID account and have verified that the address can be used for FaceTime calls. iPad 2 and iPod touch (fourth-generation) users can make this setting by tapping Settings and then FaceTime; FaceTime for Mac users make this setting by clicking FaceTime⇒Preferences.
5. When the person accepts the call, you see a large screen that displays the recipient’s image alongside a small screen containing your image (see Figure 7-2).
You can also simply go to the Contacts app, find a contact, and tap the FaceTime icon next to that person’s phone number or e-mail address in the contact record to make a FaceTime call.
To view recent calls, tap the Recents button in Step 2. Tap a recent call and iPad displays that person’s information. You can tap the contact to call the person back.
At the time of this writing, you can use FaceTime only over a Wi-Fi network, not over 3G, which limits the places from which you can make or receive video calls to your home wireless network or a public hotspot. On the other hand, you avoid costly data usage over a 3G network with this setup.
Figure 7-2
Accept or End a FaceTime Call
1. If you’re on the receiving end of a FaceTime call, accepting the call is about as easy as it gets. When the call comes in, tap the Accept button to take the call or tap the Decline button to reject it (see Figure 7-3).
2. Chat away with your friend, swapping video images. To end the call, tap the End button (see Figure 7-4).
Figure 7-3
Figure 7-4
To mute sound during a call, tap the Mute button (refer to Figure 7-4). Tap the button again to unmute your iPad or iPhone.
To add a caller to your Favorites list, with FaceTime open (refer to Figure 7-1), tap the Favorites button and then tap the plus sign (+) and select a name from the contact list to add the person to Favorites. You can then locate the person to make a call to him or her by tapping Favorites rather than Contacts.
Switch Views
1. When you’re on a FaceTime call, you might want to use iPad’s built-in camera to show the person you’re talking to what’s going on around you. Tap the Switch Camera button (refer to Figure 7-4) to switch from the front-facing camera that’s displaying your image to the back-facing camera that captures whatever you’re looking at (see Figure 7-5).
Figure 7-5
2. Tap the Switch Camera button again to switch back to the front camera displaying your image.
Experience Twitter on iPad
Twitter is a social networking service for microblogging, which involves posting very short messages (limited to 140 characters) online so your friends can see what you’re up to. You can go to www.twitter.com to sign up with the service; there is also a free Twitter app for iPad you can download and use to manage your Twitter account. Once you have an account you can post “tweets,” have people follow your tweets, and follow the tweets that other people post.
With iOS 5 for iPad the ability to tweet has become integrated into several apps. You can post tweets using the Menu button within Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, and Maps. First, sign up for an account, then download the free Twitter app to your iPad (see Chapter 9 for more about downloading apps). Go to iPad Settings and tap on Twitter. Then add your account information.
Now when you’re using Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, or Maps you can choose Tweet from a menu. You’ll see a Tweet form like that shown in Figure 7-6. Just write your message in the form and then tap Send.
Figure 7-6
See Chapters 5, 12, or 13 for more about tweeting in the Safari, Photos, or YouTube apps.
Set Up an iMessage Account
1. iMessage is a new feature in iOS 5 (available through the pre-installed Messages app) that allows you to send and receive instant messages (IM) to others using an Applie iOS device. Instant messaging differs from e-mail or tweeting in an important way. Where you might e-mail somebody and wait days or weeks before that person responds, or you might post a tweet that could sit there awhile before anybody views it, with instant messaging communication happens immediately. You send an IM and it appears on somebody’s iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad right away, and assuming the person wants to participate in a live conversation, it begins immediately, allowing a back and forth dialog in real time. To set up iMessage, tap Settings on the Home screen.
2. Tap Messages and the settings shown in Figure 7-7 are displayed.
3. If iMessage is not set to On (refer to Figure 7-7), tap the On/Off button to turn it on.
4. Check to be sure the e-mail account associated with your iPad is correct (this should be set up automatically based on your Apple ID).
5. To allow a notice to be sent when you’ve read somebody’s messages, tap the On/Off button for Send Read Receipts.
6. Tap the Home button to leave the settings.
To change the e-mail account used by iMessage tap the Email button and then tap Remove This Email, then follow the steps above to add another e-mail account.
Figure 7-7
Use iMessage to Address, Create, and Send Messages
1. Now you’re ready to use iMessage. From the Home screen, tap the Messages icon. If this is the first time you’re using iMessage, on the screen that appears (see Figure 7-8), you tap the New Message button to begin a conversation.
2. You can address a message in a couple of ways:
• Begin to type an address in the To: field and a list of matching contacts appears.
• Tap the plus icon on the right of the address field and the All Contacts list is displayed, as shown in Figure 7-9.
Figure 7-8
3. Tap a contact on the list you chose to display in Step 2. If the contact has both an e-mail address and phone number stored, the Info dialog appears, allowing you to tap on one or the other, which addresses the message.
Figure 7-9
4. To create a message, simply tap in the message field near the bottom of the screen and type your message.
5. To send the message, tap the Send button (refer to Figure 7-8). When your recipient(s) respond, you’ll see the conversation displayed on the right side of the screen, as shown in Figure 7-10.
You can address a message to more than one person by simply choosing more recipients in Step 2.
If you want to include a photo or video with your message, tap the Camera icon to the left of the message field (refer to Figure 7-8). Tap Take Photo or Video or Choose Existing and then Use, depending on whether you want to create a new photo/video or send one you’ve already taken. When you send your message the photo or video will go along with your text.
Figure 7-10
Clear a Conversation
1. When you’re done chatting, you might want to clear a conversation to remove the clutter before you start a new one. With Messages open, tap the menu button (refer to Figure 7-10).
2. Tap the Clear All button (see Figure 7-11).
3. Tap Clear Conversation.
You can also tap the menu button, tap the text of a particular conversation, and then tap the Delete or Forward button on the bottom of the screen (refer to Figure 7-11) to delete that one conversation or forward its contents to somebody.
Figure 7-11