iPhone Users Can Now Communicate With Android Users Via FaceTime

Android users can now join FaceTime calls (photo: doc. pexels)

JAKARTA - Switching from Android to iPhone is not the only way to communicate via FaceTime with your friends. With the iOS 15 update, iPhone owners can now invite friends and family using Android to join a FaceTime call by opening the app and creating a join link.

While selecting the person's name to join the video call is still not an available option, immediately after opening the FaceTime app, at the top of the screen there are two options: 'Create Link' and 'New FaceTime'.

iPhone users can create a FaceTime link so Android users can join the video call. This link will open a call in Chrome or Edge browser on Android.

A notice under the 'create link' option states that iPhone users can select the button to invite anyone to the call, including Android users and Windows devices.

This feature works similarly to a Zoom call - once a link is selected, the option to add a name to the link will appear, and after selecting the person's name, it will automatically generate a text to that person with the link attached.

When Android users click the link, a FaceTime call will launch in their Chrome or Edge website browser. However, other browsers such as Firefox and Samsung may not recognize the link and instead display an error message.

As with group text messages between iPhones, users can name the FaceTime group before sending the link by selecting the 'Add Name' option and typing in a name like 'family call,' 'book club,' or 'night together,' for example.

The feature also tries to compete with other video calling options like Google Meet or Zoom by including a calendar option to schedule future FaceTime calls.

By selecting the 'Add' or '+' icon at the top of Apple's Calendar app, iPhone users can type 'video call' into the location bar and select FaceTime or paste a link created for non-iPhone users directly into the app.

You can share the link with others by opening the FaceTime app where the scheduled call will be synced from the calendar and can be shared directly.

The advantage of this trick is that, unlike other video calls, the link does not expire automatically, so you can continue to use the same link for all future calls with the same person.

If you wish to disable a link, the person who created the link must remove it by swiping left on the link name via the app's home screen and selecting the 'delete' button.

Users can also remove links by tapping the 'i' icon on the right side of the tab and then selecting 'remove link.'

However, once the link is established, Android users, it's your time to shine and initiate a FaceTime call.

Once you have the FaceTime link, Android users can bookmark it in their browser and click the 'Join' button which will send a notification to the iPhone user who created the link.

iPhone users will see a notification that "someone requested to join," and can tap the notification to start a call initiated by a non-Apple user.

Apple unveiled the FaceTime link option at its Worldwide Developers Conference in March 2021, but, somehow, it still remains one of Apple's best-kept secrets.