Potentially fulfilling a long-standing iPhone and iPad feature request, FaceTime might finally support group video calls with iOS 11, a report claimed on Friday.
Following the release cycle of past iOS debuts, iOS 11 will be announced in June and make like FaceTime and Messages a focus, Israeli site The Verifier said, citing sources familiar with iOS development. In particular, group video calls are supposedly set for introduction in the next-generation operating system.
According to sources, users will have to initiative a group FaceTime video call from a group chat in Messages. Up to five people should be able to participate.
A June announcement would coincide with Apple's annual . The event typically focuses on OS updates planned to ship later in the year, giving developers an early glimpse at them and a chance to build or update apps with support.
The Verifier is a relatively unknown site, but group video calls are already a common feature in other iOS communications apps such as Google and Microsoft's .
FaceTime has been limited to one-to-one communication since its 2010 debut, despite improvements in processor speeds and network bandwidth. That Apple has dragged its feet on multi-user video chat integration has given breathing room to third-party apps, even though FaceTime is for many the de facto video calling solution for iOS and macOS.