FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web
3Reported today on The Verge
For the full article visit: https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/7/22522889/apple-facetime-android-windows-web-ios-15-wwdc
Reported today in The Verge.
FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web
Android and Windows users will finally be able to join FaceTime calls. During its WWDC keynote, Apple announced that FaceTime is going to be available on the web so users can call in from Android devices and Windows PCs. The video calling service was previously only available on iOS and Mac devices.
Apple is turning FaceTime into a bit more of a Zoom-like video calling service with this update. FaceTime is also going to allow you to grab a link to a scheduled call, so that you can share it with people in advance and join in at the right time.
A release date wasn't immediately announced. It sounds like the web features will launch with iOS 15 in the fall.
Apple announced a number of other FaceTime updates coming in iOS 15, too. There's a new grid view option, a voice isolation feature to improve sound quality, spatial audio support, and the option to blur your background with "portrait mode."
There's also a major new feature called SharePlay. SharePlay will let a group of people watch or listen to the same thing at once. The feature lets you pull in songs, videos, or share your screen. Some major names are on board to support the feature, including Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO Max, and Twitch. Apple Music and Apple TV Plus support it too, of course.
Virtual watch parties became popular during the pandemic, and SharePlay really dives into that. The feature shows Apple hoping to make FaceTime into more of a hangout space, and not just a way to make convenient video calls with your relatives.