It was the turn of Apple developers and fans to hear what are the future plans of the brand, software-wise. There were a lot of major announcements at their Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) but one thing that concerns Android users is that FaceTime, their video calling feature, will soon be available for Android users as well. No, we’re not getting a new Apple Android app but rather, iOS 15 will support something called FaceTime Links which will give cross-platform support for the video calling service.
When iPhone users start a FaceTime call on their device that will be running on iOS 15, they will be able to generate links to the call which they can share on whatever messaging app they use. When an Android user clicks on the link, it will supposedly open on a web browser and they will be able to join the FaceTime call. This most likely means that not all of the features that iPhone users enjoy on FaceTime will be available on the web browser version.
There are no other details on how it will work but just the initial announcement is stirring up some excitement. While there are a lot of video conferencing and calling apps already out there that work cross-platform, iPhone users find it more convenient to default to FaceTime. But if there are Android users they need to talk to, then they have to use a different app. At least when iOS 15 rolls out, this problem will be somehow solved.
Apple did announce some FaceTime improvements like spatial audio to match voices with faces, improved voice isolation to cut out the background noise, grid view for group calls, and background blurring. Another major thing they’re adding is SharePlay which will let you watch a TV show together with Apple TV+, listen to music with Apple Music, and even share your screen with other people on the call. But of course these things will only probably work across Apple devices.
No word yet on when iOS 15 will start rolling out to devices and when Android users can get it on somewhat on the FaceTime fun. We’ll probably know more about it when we eventually get close to the release date.