After years of being an Apple exclusive, FaceTime is finally available for Android users. Well, sort of.
Earlier this year, Apple announced its iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS 12 Monterey operating systems, which now give users the ability to FaceTime friends, family and colleagues on Android, Windows and other non-Apple devices.
However, Apple hasn’t released dedicated apps for non-iOS customers to use, which complicates things a little if you want to use FaceTime on Android or another device. Despite this, they can still join Apple users’ FaceTime calls.
So how does it all work?
How To Use FaceTime On Android
The caveat here is that somebody on the call must been an Apple customer (you know, so they can still make money).
To start the call, the Apple user must open the FaceTime app on their iPhone/iPad/Mac and tap the “create link” button.
This will generate a link that can then be shared with an Android user looking to join the FaceTime call.
You can then share the FaceTime link with your Android friends any way you choose (messages, email, social media, you name it).
On the Android end, users will receive a www.facetime.apple.com link, which works similarly to a Zoom link.
From there, you just need to click the link, follow the prompts to add your name and join the FaceTime conversation on your Android device. Much like joining a Zoom or Google Hangouts meeting you weren’t invited to, the host will then have to manually approve your request to join the FaceTime call.
[related_content first=”1702282″]
Once you’re in, you’ll have access to basic FaceTime features like muting, flipping your camera and hiding video. Essentially, you’ll have a FaceTime app in your browser window.
Unfortunately, it’s not quite the same as the fully fledged app, but the video quality is still pretty good and it at least gives the option to use FaceTime on Android and other devices, which is a pretty serious game changer, to say the least.
Currently, Android users can only join calls via the Android web browser. It’s unclear if an app is coming in future, but for the sake of Android users everywhere, we can only hope.