When you use FaceTime, the boxes showing participants might appear to zoom in or out primarily because the app automatically adjusts their size to highlight who is currently speaking.
FaceTime uses a feature designed to improve communication flow during video calls, especially in group settings. By default, this feature works by making the video feed of the active speaker more prominent.
- Highlighting the Speaker: FaceTime is designed to draw attention to the person talking. It does this by making the size of the speaker's box larger compared to others on the screen.
- Visual Effect: This change in size for the speaker's box can make it look like that specific box is zooming in, while others might appear to shrink or "zoom out" relatively.
According to a reference from May 26, 2020, "By default, FaceTime highlights the person speaking on a video call by making the size of the speaker's box larger."
Potential Side Effects in Group Calls
While highlighting the speaker is intended to be helpful, this automatic adjustment can sometimes create a dynamic and potentially distracting layout, particularly in large group conversations.
- Boxes Shifting: As the conversation moves from one person to another, FaceTime continually attempts to identify and enlarge the new speaker's box.
- Layout Instability: This rapid shifting and resizing can cause the boxes representing participants to "bounce all over the place," as the app works to keep up with who is speaking, making the layout appear unstable.
This behavior is a direct result of the feature that makes the speaker's box larger.
Controlling the Behavior
(Note: While the reference mentions the effect can be distracting, suggesting control is possible, it doesn't detail how. Based on general knowledge of FaceTime settings, this feature is typically called 'Speaking Highlight' or similar and can be disabled in FaceTime settings or directly during a call on supported devices, often within the view options.)
This automatic resizing is FaceTime's way of focusing attention during a call, and the perceived zooming effect is a byproduct of this speaker highlighting feature.
