Answering FaceTime calls on Mac?

By tunmi13, 21 September, 2020

Forum
macOS and Mac Apps

Hi,
So although I don't own a Mac, I use a mac OS Catalina virtual machine. Long story short, I recently received a FaceTime call, and VoiceOver directed me to the Notification Center. But when i tried to use VO Left arrow or VO Right arrow, it wouldn't show any buttons. I even tried interacting using VO Shift Down arrow and nothing happened.
Am I doing something wrong? Is there a command to answer calls?
Any help would be appreciated.
Regards,
Tunmi

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Comments

By Ishkabibble on Monday, September 21, 2020 - 15:08

Hi,

I have a MacBook and I haven't experienced any of the problems you're describing. When a FaceTime call comes through I can arrow to the "answer" button or swipe to it using the trackpad. When you receive a FaceTime call try command-tabbing until you find the FaceTime app and see if you can answer calls from there; I'm not sure if that would solve your problem but it might refocus VoiceOver to the FaceTime window

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Maddy

I've also never had any trouble with this my only thinking is that it could have something to do with a virtual machine and not having the right hardware! Outside of that I really don't have any other thoughts because mines always work perfectly! I use it on an iMac and a MacBook Pro.

By tunmi13 on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - 14:17

Yes, @1, I am able to go to the FaceTime app and redial the person with no issues. Its just answering that is giving me problems. I will try what you guys said though.

By PaulMartz on Friday, January 15, 2021 - 20:49

When the phone rings and I'm on my Mac, I find that focus doesn't change. If I'm typing an email, Mail still has focus. If I'm browsing a web page, Safari still has focus.

I hit VO+F1 twice quickly to open the app chooser, select notifications (which is the first listed app), interact with the notifications window, then VO+Right about five times to find the accept button.

Are you folks saying that focus automatically jumps to FaceTime when a call comes in? You don't even have to Command+Tab? Because I sure would like something easier than the circuitous route I've been using.

I remember reading once that you could VO+N to jump to Notifications quickly, but if I hit VO+N while the phone is ringing, VoiceOver says "no notifications". That's really strange because, as I mentioned previously, notifications is the first app listed in the Application Chooser, and with my crappy low vision, I can see the notification window in the upper right corner while the phone is ringing.

By Cowboy on Saturday, January 16, 2021 - 08:41

What is happening to the OP was happening to me. I found if I command tabbed away from the alert for the call and back to it I could then answer the call.

After upgrading to MacOS Big Sur answering FaceTime calls has become a little more difficult, but I figured out that VO + O goes to the Notifications center reliably instead of VO + N (which doesn't work at all for some reason). Once you press VO + O you'll be in the list of notifications where the FaceTime notification should pop up with buttons within it for Answer and Decline. Hope this helps.