Hi, how do you recognize whether a contact of yours may be called on Facetime? Prior to iOS 26 there were two icons for Facetime Audio and Video next to contact's name when sought after in the contacts. Now these icons are gone or at least I do not see them appearing where they used to prior to iOS 26.
I was wondering the same thing. I often use FaceTime audio to call people overseas so I don't incur long-distance charges. When I tried to call someone today, after installing iOS 26, the FaceTime icons were gone from their Contact page, just as you said.
I actually had to open the FaceTime app and start a new call that way to ensure I was using FaceTime and not just making a call through my cell service.
Now, Bulgarus has highlighted the fact that you can hold the phone icon on a contact page and it does pop up the FaceTime option. I can confirm that this does work, and it is possibly slightly better than using the FaceTime app. However, both options are a massive downgrade.
A third way I discovered is that if you are messaging someone, there is a video camera icon in the top right of the screen. You can hold that, and then a FaceTime Audio option also pops up.
A fourth way is to search in your contacts, find them on the list, and just hold their name. Then a call option pops up, and there is an arrow that allows you to select FaceTime Audio. I think this might be the method with the least friction, but I don't understand why any of this had to change for iOS26.
What was wrong with the old way of doing things?
I was wondering the same thing. I often use FaceTime audio to call people overseas so I don't incur long-distance charges. When I tried to call someone today, after installing iOS 26, the FaceTime icons were gone from their Contact page, just as you said.
I actually had to open the FaceTime app and start a new call that way to ensure I was using FaceTime and not just making a call through my cell service.
Now, Bulgarus has highlighted the fact that you can hold the phone icon on a contact page and it does pop up the FaceTime option. I can confirm that this does work, and it is possibly slightly better than using the FaceTime app. However, both options are a massive downgrade.
A third way I discovered is that if you are messaging someone, there is a video camera icon in the top right of the screen. You can hold that, and then a FaceTime Audio option also pops up.
A fourth way is to search in your contacts, find them on the list, and just hold their name. Then a call option pops up, and there is an arrow that allows you to select FaceTime Audio. I think this might be the method with the least friction, but I don't understand why any of this had to change for iOS26.
What was wrong with the old way of doing things?
I used to have that same problem of the icons disappearing until I searched for FaceTime on my apps and opened it and found out it was not activated hence the icons were not displayed.
I launched the FaceTime app and accepted all the prompt and clicked on the agree button and boom 💥 everything went back to normal. Now I can make FaceTime calls right from iMessage and what not.
Apparently when you do the upgrade, you have to manually do your due diligence as it won’t be automatically activated for some as others did not have that issue.
tap the contact to open the contact poster. The icons are there, at least, on my iPhone they are
Thank you for your reply, there is nothing to see on my iPhone. A workaround I discovered would consist in tapping the contact to open, then tap and hold the phone receiver icon to expand it, and there it would show "Facetime audio" next to other phone or messaging apps the contact may be available on.
This is, however, much more burdensome.
I was wondering myself what happened with those two FaceTime icons. Even if we go to FaceTime app there is only video there.
Apple made this move on purpose and hiding those options doesn't make sense at all....
Facetime audio and video icons next to contact disappeared in iOS 26
