A company specializing in telehealth solutions is alerting its patients about an unexpected consequence associated with Apple's recently introduced video reactions feature. This may lead to unintentional inclusion of heart emojis or virtual fireworks in telehealth video calls, potentially causing awkward moments for users. 

Warning Patients

Telehealth platform provider SimplePractice has issued a warning to patients regarding a potentially awkward side effect of Apple's latest video reactions feature. This new functionality has the potential to inadvertently sprinkle telehealth video calls with heart emojis or virtual fireworks.

The alert came to light through a post on Mastodon by Matt Haughey, who recounted a friend's experience of witnessing fireworks in the midst of a therapy call after responding with a thumbs-up to a question from their therapist.

In response to this quirky development, SimplePractice is actively notifying patients that Apple devices might display emojis during video calls, and the company itself lacks control over these settings. Detailed information about these reactions can be found in an FAQ, including instructions on how to disable them on both iOS and macOS.

Introducing Video Reactions

Apple introduced the video reactions as a significant feature in iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma, which was officially launched in September. During a video call on an iPhone operating with the new iOS 17, this feature now allows users to activate on-screen visual effects.

These effects include animated hearts, balloons, confetti, fireworks, and various others, enhancing the visual experience during the FaceTime call. To initiate these layered screen effects, you have a couple of options at your disposal. You can opt for a simple long press on your displayed image in the FaceTime call, which will unveil a menu of reaction choices. 

For instance, forming a heart shape triggers hearts, while giving two thumbs up sets off virtual fireworks. In total, MacRumors reported that there are eight possible reactions that can be activated using hand gestures.

While these reactions can be a fun addition to a video call, there are situations, such as a therapy session or a crucial legal discussion, where you'd prefer not to have them at all.

The reactions are activated through common hand gestures, like a single thumbs-up, thumbs-down, or two peace signs, each triggering different reactions. This simplicity increases the likelihood of accidental activations, especially since the reactions are enabled by default.

Also Read: iOS 17 is Finally Here: What Changes Did Apple Launch in Latest Operating System?

Disabling the Feature

If you wish to disable these gesture-based reactions, here's how to do it as reported by The Verge. On iOS, open the FaceTime app, access the Control Center (on Face ID iPhones, you can swipe down from the top-right corner, and on Touch ID iPhones, it's a swipe up from the bottom of the screen).

Then, tap on "Video Effects" in Control Center and select "Reactions." On macOS Sonoma, open the FaceTime app, click the FaceTime icon in the menu bar, and choose "Reactions." 

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