Beginning with iOS 15, FaceTime is more universally useful. It has always been a great way to video chat with other iPhone users, but now it’s available for just about anybody with a modern browser. Let’s take a look at how you can FaceTime with Android.
No, There’s No App for Android
First of all, no, Apple has not released an actual FaceTime app for Android devices, at least not yet. Instead, Cupertino has provided a way for you to send a link to your FaceTime chat to people on other devices. That means you can now allow Android users, as well as anyone with a modern browser, into your FaceTime calls.
To use FaceTime with Android, open the FaceTime app on your iPhone. You will see two buttons at the top. One button is familiar, the New FaceTime button. The other, Create Link, is brand new in iOS 15. If you tap on Create Link, the Share Extensions will allow you to send a link to your FaceTime conversation in a variety of ways.
I tested sending this link through Facebook Messenger and Messages. Both seem to work fine, but Facebook Messenger tries to open the link in its own browser. That won’t always work, but the page does prompt the Android user to copy the link and open it in Chrome.
Starting a Video Chat with Non-iPhone Users
So, if you tap on Create Link and then send that link to your Android-using friend, they can join your FaceTime call. All they have to do is tap the link, and it will open in their browser. The web page asks them to enter a name to join as. They don’t even need an Apple ID. After they type their name and tap continue, they need to tap on the green Join button. That’s it on their end, but you still have a bit of work to do on yours.
On your iPhone, you will see that there is someone waiting to be let into your FaceTime call. Tap on the green checkmark, and add anyone else you want to invite. Once finished, tap Done. It may take a couple of seconds, but very soon your friend will be enjoying FaceTime with Android.
Bear in mind, this is still in beta. That being said, it seems to work really well. My friend was using a very low-end Android phone, an LG Stylo 6. She was outside, and not on Wi-Fi. Even so, the quality was very good. I could hear her perfectly, and her video never seemed to slow down or stutter.
If you find yourself wanting to turn off this video chatting option on certain devices, such as your Mac, take a look at our guide on how to disable FaceTime on a Mac.