While it feels like we’ve been using zooming and FaceTiming and Google Hangouts for ages, most of us still haven’t figured out how to look good on a video call. Fortunately, a new feature called Center Stage has been introduced on the iPad Pro that will make you look a little better in front of the camera with little effort.
Center Stage only works with the ultra-wide front cameras on the iPad Pro and tries to keep you in focus even if you move around in the frame. This means that when you put on your iPad Pro, the camera follows you and automatically re-focuses, even if you move closer, further away or to the side.
To turn Center Stage on for FaceTime, open Settings and tap FaceTime. Make sure the Center Stage switch is on (just turn it off again if / when you want to turn it off). If you’re already on a FaceTime call, you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen and toggle it on or off in the menu that appears.
Unless you’re a regular user of Apple’s proprietary video calling app, they have allowed the feature to be enabled on other video calling platforms, including Zoom. During a Zoom call on an iPad Pro, you’ll see the option to toggle Center Stage on or off in the left sidebar, just below the options to toggle the camera and active speaker views.
Now you can at least have confidence that your face will be in focus and in the picture, even when you move. Exactly how your face looks (and what you wear or don’t wear right now off-camera) is entirely up to you.
