Android and Windows users will finally be able to use FaceTime, Apple’s proprietary audio and video calling technology. During its WWDC keynote, the company announced that FaceTime will be available via a web interface to allow users to make calls from Android devices and Windows computers. This feature has always been available exclusively on iOS devices and Mac computers.
It looks like Apple has decided to turn FaceTime into a video calling service like Zoom or Skype. Similar to these apps, FaceTime will also allow you to create links to scheduled calls so that users can share them ahead of time and join at the right time. The timing of the transformation was not announced at the conference, but they, apparently, should appear in the fall along with the release of iOS 15.
Apple has announced a number of other FaceTime changes coming in iOS 15. For example, a new grid view option, AI noise cancellation to improve audio quality (similar to NVIDIA’s RTX Voice), spatial audio support, and background blur in Portrait mode “.
There should also be another important feature called SharePlay, which will allow a group of people to watch movies or listen to music in sync. With this function, it will be possible to share video or listen to tracks, as well as screen sharing. Some streaming services already support this feature (Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO Max and Twitch), and Apple Music and Apple TV + are now joining them. Virtual social gatherings with family and friends have become very popular during the pandemic, and SharePlay will indeed become an appropriate addition.
All of these innovations show that Apple hopes to make FaceTime more than just a way to make convenient video calls.