How To Facetime An Iphone With An Android

Yep, Apple is finally letting iPhone owners FaceTime with Android phones.

Have you long wondered why you couldn't FaceTime on Android? So have most people. But now with the upcoming release of iOS 15, Apple will now let Mac, iPhone, and iPad users make FaceTime calls to Android users.

But first, let's backtrack a bit. Until iOS 15 why has FaceTime only been available on Apple devices? Why isn't it cross-platform like Zoom or Skype?

The main reason is Apple knows FaceTime is a big draw for consumers when considering what kind of phone to buy. FaceTime is easy, slick looking, and reliable. So if you're Apple, why would you make that app for Android, too?

You want FaceTime – you buy an iPhone.

How To FaceTime On Android – Yes You Can!

Or, at least, that's how it used to be. But with iOS 15 that's changing. BUT – and this is a BIG but – it should be noted that Apple isn't bringing the FaceTime app to Android. Notice how we said FaceTime is coming to that platform with iOS 15? And of course, iOS 15 only works on iPhones – so what gives?

We'll in iOS 15 an iPhone user will be able to use the FaceTime app to make video calls to other iPhone users as always, but users will also be able to generate FaceTime video call links they can send to anyone on any device. These FaceTime call links, when clicked on an Android or Windows device, will open that device's web browser and allow the user of that device to partake in the FaceTime call via the web.

What this means is Android users won't be able to initiate FaceTime calls – only iPhone, iPad, and Mac users will still be able to do that. But now Android users will now be able to JOIN FaceTime calls at least.

How To FaceTime Between iPhone And Android Phones

So what do you need to do if you want to FaceTime between an iPhone and Android phone? Well, the iPhone user needs to initiate the call by sending a FaceTime link to the Android user.

Here's what you need to do if you have an iPhone and are initiating the FaceTime call:

On your iPhone, open the FaceTime app.
Tap the "Create Link" button at the tp of the screen.
A pop-up will appear asking how you'd like to share the FaceTime link: by text, email, AirDrop or any number of third-party messaging apps you have installed on your iPhone. Tap the option you want to share the FaceTime like through.

And here's what you need to do if you have an Android phone and want to join the FaceTime call:

When you get the FaceTime link (sent to you via email, text, WhatsApp or any other way), tap on it.
The link will open facetime.apple.com in the Chrome browser. On the webpage, enter your name as you'd like it to appear to others in the FaceTime call.
Tap Continue.
Then in the FaceTime Call pop-up alert that appears, tap the Join button.

At this point, the iPhone user will then need to grant you access to the FaceTime call. Once they do that the Android user will see all the standard FaceTime options, such as camera controls, muting, ending the call, and more.

Keep in mind that these features won't be available until iOS 15 ships later this fall. However, if you have an iPhone you can join the iOS 15 public beta and start testing these features out with your Android friends today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do they make FaceTime for Android?

Kind of. Apple does not make a FaceTime app for Android, but if an iPhone owner is running iOS 15, they can send a link to an Android owner that lets them join a FaceTime call on the web.
Q: Do they make FaceTime for Windows?

Apple doesn't make a FaceTime app for Windows. But Windows users can join a FaceTime call vi their web browser if an iPhone user sends them a link.
Q: Is FaceTime better than Zoom?

FaceTime is great for calls between friends and family and even small to medium group calls. However, if you are video calling for business, zoom is generally the better app to use because Zoom makes native apps for all kinds of platforms including Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.

Michael Grothaus

Apple expert and novelist, Michael Grothaus has been covering tech on KnowYourMobile for the best part of 10 years. Prior to this, he worked at Apple. And before that, he was a film journalist. Michael is a published author; his book Epiphany Jones was voted as one of the best novels about Hollywood by Entertainment Weekly. Michael is also a writer at other publications including VICE and Fast Company.