FaceTime for Android and PC: What can it offer?

Nowadays, video calling technology has become the essential means for communicating, primarily so due to the rapid developments that it has gone through. FaceTime from Apple provides you with a top-notch video calling experience, and it comes pre-installed on all the latest iOS devices.

FaceTime is not exclusive to iPhones. Apple has recently confirmed its compatibility with Windows and Android devices. It is excellent news for many people who want to experience the app’s working process and features. Also, if you’re about to use it for the first time, you will love how it performs.
You might have many questions regarding how FaceTime works on your devices. We might have the information to clear them all out, please read on.

Facetime Preview

What do we know so far about FaceTime?

As mentioned earlier, FaceTime used to be available only for iOS devices. So, why has Apple decided to bring it on Android and Windows all of a sudden? Also, it’s an unprecedented step from Apple. They didn’t give us many hints about the release date. But, many web development service experts suggest it will launch along with iOS 15.
There are many alternatives to Android and Windows users when it comes to video calling apps. But, FaceTime might be able to compete with pretty much all of them. So, this decision from Apple might be a competitive strategy. But, whatever be the result, the users will surely benefit from it.
Also, Android and PC users will get FaceTime only as a web application. In other words, the application won’t run on your device but, instead, an internet server.

What features does FaceTime offer to Android and Windows devices?

Since FaceTime is Apple’s product, few Android and Windows users know what it does and have to offer. So, you might want to know about its features. Also, the new FaceTime version will come with more enhanced features as compared to previous ones. From what we know so far, here are some of the greatest ones among them.

Facetime on Android Device - Preview

1. YOU CAN CONNECT WITH MUCH MORE PEOPLE

Older FaceTime versions allowed users to connect to a large number of callers. But, Apple has announced that the new version will allow you to add more people than ever. The current one allows up to 32 callers. So, the upcoming one will have an upgraded version of the total number of callers. Moreover, this isn’t even the best feature of FaceTime.

2. HIGH-QUALITY VIDEO

One of the best features that you’ll find on FaceTime – crystal clear picture. People who have used it know about the video quality of calls.

3. ENHANCED SECURITY

As you might know, Apple walks the long walk to ensure the optimal security of its users’ data. iOS and Mac devices are among the most secure ones that you’ll find out there. Moreover, you can say the same about their apps as well. With a more robust and safe environment, the applications there already have one solid protective layer.
Naturally, FaceTime comes with optimal security features as per current requirements. All the app’s data is end-to-end encrypted. Its enhanced security will surely satisfy your data protection wants for your Windows or Android device. Concerning security levels, it beats many other applications of its kind.

4. HIGH-QUALITY AUDIO

The audio is a significant issue with many video calling applications out there. But, FaceTime offers users clear and high-quality audio. And that provides you with a very immersive video calling experience. Moreover, Apple has announced that they’re going to add spatial audio technology to FaceTime.
This feature blocks all surrounding sounds when you’re in a call. What’s even more remarkable is that Android and Windows users can also enjoy this feature now. Apart from that, new audio-related settings are soon coming to light.

5. SHAREPLAY FEATURE

You may often require to share your screen during your video calls. It could be for various reasons, including gaming or educational streams. Regardless, you can do that with the new SharePlay feature that Apple added to FaceTime. Moreover, this feature allows you to make various customizations based on your preferences.

How do you get FaceTime on your PC or Android device?

Can you join a FaceTime call using a Windows or Android system right now? Yes, you can. But, the process differs based on the system that you’re using. If your OS of choice is Windows, you can download FaceTime for Chrome as an extension. And, for that, you need to go to the Chrome web store, but before that, make sure that your device passes system requirements.
Here is the rough mark for minimum requirements. To run FaceTime, you must have Windows 10 on your PC, and it requires at least 2GB of storage space. As for Android, you can’t download the app on your mobile device. However, you can join a FaceTime call if an iOS or Mac user sends you an invitation. In that case, you’ll receive a link to your Messages or Mail.

How do you join a FaceTime call using your Android phone or PC?

As of now, you cannot download FaceTime as an app on your PC or Android device. So, unfortunately, you can’t make a call yet. However, you can still join a call through an invite, and this invite arrives as a link. So how do you use this link to join the call?
As mentioned before, FaceTime is available as a web app for Android and Windows. You can join calls through a web browser only, and for now, this choice narrows down to Google Chrome. Click on the link and opt for opening it with Chrome on your device. It will take you to a page where you enter your name and, promptly after that, join the call.
FaceTime will ask permission to access your microphone and camera. After you allow it, you must click the ‘Join’ button. It will send a request to the other caller to let you in; you will wait a bit before they accept it. When they send the link, you can join the conversation without any issues. Once the conversation is over, click the ‘Leave’ button to exit.

FaceTime in a nutshell

On macOS Monterey, FaceTime comes with many new updates, including high-quality audio and video improvements. For example, you can isolate background noise like unwanted buzz and carry on with your conversation; or watch movies and videos with your friends in real-time.
Previously exclusive to Apple, the fantastic video experience of FaceTime now comes to Android and Windows. As of now, it might not be as popular with them as it is with iOS users. However, the optimal performance and crystal-clear video of FaceTime will soon reap new followers. Apple’s decision to elevate its app into a cross-platform compatible tool is an excellent step towards setting universal standards in video calling.
For all those wanting to test iOS 15 before the official release data – enroll into the Apple Beta Tester Program on your iPhone, it is available since June, 7th 2021 and pretty stable by now.

Author

Mariya Videva | UX Strategist  | UI/UX Designer

Mariya is an experienced User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) expert, with a strong tendency toward improving Customer Experience (CX). After a successful brainstorming session, she implements the user experiences used by millions of users thereafter.
There is no problem big enough for her not to tackle a solution to sometimes sophisticated user flows. User Experience Strategy sits at the heart of her actions, making her think ahead of time and beyond implementation.