Apple introduced new reaction features with iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma. Here's how you trigger the new 3D effects in FaceTime, and more.

Learn How To Utilize Apple’s Reaction Feature During Video Calls On Mac, iPhone, Or iPad

With this year’s software (iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma), Apple has introduced the ability to send video reactions to people during video calls on FaceTime and other video calling apps like WhatsApp. However, many users are not aware of this feature and only discover it by accident.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to use these Apple reaction features during video conferencing in apps like FaceTime and WhatsApp. In particular, you need to do very little except upgrade to the latest compatible operating system, as it is enabled by default. These 3D animations and background effects are triggered by making different hand gestures during calls.

Here’s what you need to do to trigger these Apple Reaction effects:

First, you need to be on a video conference call in an app like Apple FaceTime or WhatsApp.

Fireworks: To trigger this background effect, you need to give a thumbs up during video calls or you can select the fireworks option from the Reactions sub-menu.
Hearts: As you might guess, creating a heart shape with two hands triggers this effect, or you can use the Reactions submenu.
Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down: You can trigger this simple 3D effect by pointing your thumbs up or pointing your iPhone, iPad, or Mac at your webcam. Thumbs up adds a thumbs up bubble to the video feed, while a thumbs down effect. And like the others on this list, it can also be launched with your thumb.
Confetti for Balloons: Start the confetti party by making two winning tokens. If you want to bring several colorful balloons into the frame, make a winning sign with one hand.
Rain: Show a rainy background by pointing both thumbs down. This triggers a rain animation in the background, suggesting a sad mood.

Disabling this feature on Mac and iOS/iPadOS

If you don’t want to use this feature, or you’re worried about accidentally activating it during critical moments like an important video call, Apple offers an option to disable it.

On Mac: Go to the menu bar in the upper right corner, select Reactions, and click to turn off the feature. When it is no longer green, the feature is off.