Tip of the Week: You Can (Sort Of) Use FaceTime on Android. Here’s How

It’s no secret that Apple’s iPhone has some features exclusive to users of Apple products, one of which is the convenient mobile video chat platform, FaceTime. However, Apple has made FaceTime available to Android users in at least some capacity, albeit an incomplete experience, for the Android user, at least. Let’s go over how an iPhone user can FaceTime with an Android user relatively easily.

First, it’s important to note that Android users cannot initiate a FaceTime call, or even download the app. That responsibility rests on the user of the iPhone. This user can, however, access a FaceTime link, which can be texted to the Android user, kind of similar to joining any other video conferencing call. Here’s how it’s done.

To access the FaceTime link, the iPhone user has to go into their FaceTime application and select the Create Link option from the top-left menu. The user can then send that link to the recipient.

Once the recipient has received the link, they just click on the link and open it in their chosen mobile web browser. Since it is a video call, the user will have to grant the window privileges to access the camera and microphone on their device. The user can add their name to the call, then join by tapping Continue.

Once the recipient of the link gets this far, the iPhone user should see the option to either accept or reject the call at the top of their screen.

From this point on, the call works mostly like any other FaceTime call might, but with limited capabilities on the Android user’s part. Enjoy your FaceTime calls with whoever you want, regardless of their preferred device, in this way!

It should be mentioned that in a business setting, FaceTime is not a substitute for a full-fledged collaboration platform. You should be using a centrally managed and hosted video conferencing platform that can be utilized regardless of what type of device your employees are using. In this way, you’re not gatekeeping their experiences—something which could very well hold your business back!

We hope you found this tip helpful. Be sure to reach out to BNMC for more great tips and tricks on how to best use your business technology.