You can send a FaceTime voicemail to someone if they don’t answer your request for a video chat. It’s better than leaving a regular voicemail because it’s video — you can relay a message quickly or show something off on camera.
For instance, if your dog or your human child is doing something cute, or if you want to get a second opinion on an outfit, you might want to show someone. If they don’t answer your FaceTime call, you can record a video to send them to watch later.
Here’s how FaceTime voicemail works.
FaceTime voicemail: How to leave a video message from your iPhone
In an era of asynchronous communication, when everyone seems to be in a different time zone, Apple’s FaceTime voicemail feature can turn a missed call into a meaningful message. Rather than leaving behind an impersonal audio voicemail, iPhone users can record and send a short video message the moment a FaceTime call goes unanswered. And that can turn a simple “sorry I missed you” into a richer, more expressive experience.
It makes FaceTime — which Apple introduced in 2010 as a key feature of the iPhone 4 (the first with a front-facing camera) — even more useful.
FaceTime, which made video calls just as easy as regular phone calls, is an incredibly popular feature, allowing people to stay connected remotely. It’s a much more personable way to communicate, for better or worse — as described in the Bo Burnham song, “FaceTime With My Mom (Tonight).”
But what if the person you’re calling doesn’t pick up? That’s where FaceTime voicemail comes in handy. You can record a quick video message for them to watch later instead of resorting to text or traditional voicemail.
Here’s how it works.
Table of contents: How to leave a FaceTime voicemail
- Make a FaceTime call that doesn’t go through
- Tap “Record Video”
- Flip the camera or start recording
- Play, Retake, Save and Send the video
- More FaceTime and Phone features
1. Make a FaceTime call that doesn’t go through
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
To send a FaceTime video message, you first need to start a FaceTime call that someone doesn’t answer. You can open the Phone or FaceTime apps to call a contact. Or, directly from an iMessage conversation, you can tap the FaceTime button in the top right, then hit FaceTime Video from the pop-up.
2. Tap ‘Record Video’
From the call screen, tap Record Video after the failed call to record a FaceTime voicemail message. A five-second countdown will immediately start. If you want a moment to prepare, or you want to flip the camera, tap the Pause button.
(Alternatively, you could hit Call Again to see if the person will pick up after a second ring. Or tap Close to give up and not leave a FaceTime voicemail.)
3. Flip the camera or start recording your FaceTime voicemail
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Before you start recording your FaceTime voicemail, tap the button at the bottom right of the screen to flip to your iPhone’s rear camera. You can’t switch cameras in the middle of a recording. Then tap the red button to start your video recording. Tap it again to stop.
4. Play, retake, save and send the video voicemail
After you finish recording, tap the Play button in the middle of the screen to preview your new FaceTime video voicemail. If you want a do-over, tap Retake at the bottom right. Think you’d like to save a copy in your photo library? Hit Save in the upper right. If you decide you don’t want to send a FaceTime voicemail after all, hit Cancel in the upper left.
If everything looks good, tap the green Send arrow to send your video.
Reminder: You don’t have to leave a FaceTime voicemail if you just want to send a video
If you just want to send someone a video without FaceTiming them, hit the + button in Messages and tap Camera. Then tap Video and hit the red button to start recording. If you’re not happy with the video, tap Retake to try again. Once you’re satisfied with the video, tap Done in the top corner. Then you can add text to the message if you want. When you’re finished, tap the blue send button to send it straight away.
More FaceTime and Phone features
- FaceTime with an Android or PC user by creating a link on the web. (You can share a link to use later.)
- Set up your Contact Poster to make a beautiful custom call screen that your contact will see
- Record a phone call and transcribe it in the Notes app.
- Use Live Voicemail to see a transcription of a voicemail message as it’s being recorded. You can pick up at any point if the call turns out to be important.
We originally published this post on how to leave a FaceTime voicemail on January 3, 2024. We updated it with the latest information on June 27, 2024, and December 17, 2025.
D. Griffin Jones is a writer, podcaster and video producer for Cult of Mac. Griffin has been a passionate computer enthusiast since 2002, when he got his first PC — but since getting a Mac in 2008, he hasn’t turned back. His skills in graphic and web design, along with video and podcast editing, are self-taught over 20+ years. Griffin has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and has written several (unpublished) apps for Mac and iOS. His collection of old computers is made up of 40+ desktops, laptops, PDAs and devices, dating back to the early ’80s. He brings all of these creative and technical skills, along with a deep knowledge of Apple history, into his work for Cult of Mac.
