FaceTime users will be glad to know that an update included in iOS 13 will solve the issue where it appears the person you are speaking to is looking to one side. The eye contact problem is caused by people looking at the phone’s display rather than looking directly into the camera. The new update will correct the problem!
iOS 13 Eye Contact Problem Fix
The third beta release of iOS 13 contains a feature The Verge calls “FaceTime Attention Correction.” So far it appears to only be working on the iPhone XS and XS Max with this particular beta version, but it solved the eye contact problem that has been plaguing FaceTime users since the first release of the app. The feature can be toggled on and off in FaceTime via the settings, which gives users the option to have it enabled or disabled based on their preference.
The way the iOS 13 FaceTime Attention Correction solves the eye contact problem is to offset the image captured by the camera to make it appear as if the user is looking directly at the person they are chatting with. This new update was spotted by Mike Rundle on Twitter, and oddly enough he theorized back in 2017 that this very feature would one day be incorporated by Apple. It appears that the features is somehow manipulating the image to make it look like each person is actually looking straight into the camera.
Apple Magic
Dave Schukin gives a demonstration in a video of exactly how the new iOS 13 feature corrects the eye contact problem. He explains that the app uses ARKit to map your face with depth sensors. Then, it will simply adjust the position of your eyes to make it look like you are staring directly into the camera. The effect is that both users look directly at each other on screen, which will make them feel more connected than before.
It has not been made clear as to whether the feature will work with multiple faces in the camera shot. So, when you gather your family around to talk to a distant friend or relative, some of them may still appear to be disinterested and staring off into space. There is also no word yet on whether it works during group calls with multiple participants. However, even if it only works in one on one FaceTime chats, the iOS 13 update that finally solved the eye contact problem will definitely be one that Apple fans remember and praise for generations to come. It is expected to hit the public beta sometime next week.