Apple has long used FaceTime to engage people in its ecosystem, but you don’t need an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to join every conversation. The company used its keynote at WWDC 2021 to reveal that Android and Windows users will soon be able to participate in FaceTime audio and video calls through a web browser.
The company didn’t exactly describe how FaceTime would work on Android or Windows, but iOS 15 users were able to share web links to invite others to chat. You get a similar visual layout with floating squares with everyone involved in video chat.
Continue reading: The best alternatives to FaceTime on Android
In addition to this partial Android and Windows support, Apple is also offering FaceTime users of iOS 15 a number of functional upgrades, including spatial audio, background noise reduction, an easier-to-analyze grid view, portrait video mode, and shared media viewing Experience through shareplay. iOS 15 is expected to be released in the fall.
In a way, Apple is coming full circle. Steve Jobs claimed FaceTime was going to be an open standard when he introduced it in 2010, but the company never pulled it off – it is said to have surprised others at Apple. While this isn’t true openness, it is much closer to Jobs’ original plan.
This approach to FaceTime may not delight Android and Windows users who may have been hoping for native apps that can start conversations. However, it dramatically expands the audience for FaceTime and makes sure you don’t get left out of conversations. It also helps dispel allegations that Apple is artificially limiting features to its devices in order to drive more hardware sales. That could help avoid antitrust complaints, of course, but it’s also good news for those who don’t want to alienate friends and family when switching platforms – whether it’s Android or iOS.