You can finally use FaceTime to call friends and family on Android, Windows, Linux, or other non-Apple platforms. All it takes is a simple web link for them to connect to FaceTime, no special software or Apple ID required whatsoever. And with end-to-end encryption, Windows and Android users get to enjoy the same security and privacy as any other FaceTime call.
How FaceTime With Non-Apple Users Works
Before non-Apple users can join your FaceTime call, you must create a link to the call as well as specify the people who will have permission to join. This web link can be shared via text, Slack, or other services with anyone using a PC running Windows or an Android phone.
This works in FaceTime on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey. FaceTime links are unsupported on older Apple operating systems. You should also keep in mind that you cannot create a multi-platform group FaceTime call without an Apple device.
With your FaceTime weblink created, the other party simply opens the link in their web browser to join the call. It's a pretty frictionless process that requires no special software or app or browser plugin, as long as the party joining the call from their Windows or Android device uses a modern web browser like Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.
Let's review the steps for creating, scheduling, sharing, and using FaceTime with Android and Windows platforms.
How to Create a Unique FaceTime Link
You need to create a unique web link for Windows and Android users to join your call.
Open FaceTime on your iPhone or iPad, then choose the Create Link option near the top of the interface. Doing so will open the Share Sheet. Now select Add Name near the top of the Share Sheet to give your FaceTime call a custom name. Naming the call makes it easier to distinguish between multiple scheduled calls.
With the call named, choose Copy from the menu so you can paste the FaceTime call URL into Messages, Mail, or any other apps. You can optionally generate a link for a related event in the Calendar app if you like. Doing so will let everyone know exactly where and when to meet.
Related: A Beginner's Guide to Using FaceTime on iPhone
Tap X to close the Share Sheet and finish creating your unique FaceTime link (don't forget to add at least one person to the call). You can find all future FaceTime calls listed under the Upcoming heading in the FaceTime app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
How to Share a FaceTime Link With Others
You must now share the created link with anyone you wish to invite to join the scheduled call. To share a FaceTime link, touch the i button next to the listed call underneath Upcoming, then choose the option to Share Link. From the Share Sheet, choose friends or family to text the link or select an app like Mail or WhatsApp to share the link through that.
How to Start a Scheduled FaceTime Call
With the FaceTime web link shared, the actual call won't start until manually initiated. To do so, touch the call listed under the heading Upcoming to open the full-screen FaceTime experience. This gives you a chance to see how you look and to check whether others have already joined the call.
To start the scheduled call, hit the green Join button in the upper right.
To end the FaceTime call on your Apple device, touch the screen near the top to bring up the FaceTime controls and hit the red Leave button. Doing so will end the call, but its link will still be active for anyone wishing to join the call if you restart it in the future.
To make the link inactive, you must manually delete it.
How to Delete a FaceTime Link
Your unique FaceTime link remains active until manually deleted.
To delete a scheduled FaceTime link, swipe left over it under the Upcoming heading to reveal a Delete option. Tap it, then confirm the operation by choosing Delete Link from the dialog that pops up. Alternatively, tap i next to the listed call, then choose Delete Link.
Deleting the link renders its underlying call inoperable for anyone you've shared it with.
How to Join a FaceTime Call From Android or Windows
For Android and Windows users, FaceTime in a browser works surprisingly well. Calls are end-to-end encrypted while video and audio quality is as you would expect from FaceTime.
To join an upcoming FaceTime call from an Android or Windows device, a non-Apple user must click the link received from the Apple user who scheduled the call. Importantly, non-Apple users do not need to create an Apple ID in order to join the call, which removes a significant barrier.
All non-Apple call participants will need to type the name they wish to use during this particular FaceTime call. The call owner will receive a notification on their Apple device informing them of a pending request. Even though a non-Apple user at this point sees their live video, the other parties won't see their own until a non-Apple user is approved.
After the call owner admits a non-Apple participant, they will join the call instantly.
Related: FaceTime Not Working? Try These Fixes
To end the call, Android or Windows users must hit the End button. The call shuts down automatically after the Apple user who created the call hits the Leave button on their side.
Are Multi-Platform FaceTime Calls Private?
FaceTime calls with Windows or Android users are end-to-end encrypted, just like Apple-to-Apple ones. When you set up FaceTime on your Apple device, you can select your mobile number or email address as your caller ID. Whenever a Windows or Android user joins FaceTime from a link, they will be able to see your caller ID.
That's something worth keeping in mind. It may be a good idea to use a separate email address as your caller ID when FaceTiming with non-Apple friends.
FaceTime Was Supposed to Become an Industry Standard
When Steve Jobs unveiled FaceTime as a "one more thing" surprise during the iPhone 4 press conference in 2010, he promised Apple would work with international standards bodies to make the feature work across non-Apple platforms. He even envisioned FaceTime becoming an industry standard.
Unfortunately, that hasn't happened, and we've yet to learn why. Despite the lack of native apps on Windows and Android, and the need for an Apple device to create a FaceTime link in the first place, Apple has at least given non-Apple users a minimum viable product now.