In more ways than one, FaceTime has become a top-notch video-calling app with the latest iOS 15 and macOS Monterey update. Newly introduced features such as screen share in Facetime, Portrait Mode, and voice isolation make it pretty high on demand. But, what seems to have caught everyone’s attention is FaceTime support on Windows and Android. And well, no wonder a large number of people are eager to use FaceTime on Android and Windows devices. So, if you are curious to test it out on your Windows PC, here is a step-by-step guide on how to use FaceTime on Windows.
To begin with, let’s first check out some of the restrictions and discuss what does and doesn’t work on FaceTime for Windows. It will make the task of setting up and using FaceTime on Windows PCs a lot easier. With that said, let’s dive right in.
- How Does FaceTime Work on Windows?
- How to Create a FaceTime Invite Link on Mac
- How to Create a FaceTime Invite Link on iPhone and iPad
- How to Use FaceTime on Your Windows PC
- Customize FaceTime Controls on Windows
- Add FaceTime Bookmark to Google Chrome on Windows PC
- Add FaceTime Meeting Link As a Shortcut on Chrome Homepage
How Does FaceTime Work on Windows?
Call it Apple’s strategy to entice Windows users or a forced decision to ward off strong competition from video conferencing apps like Zoom and Google Meet, the Cupertino giant has expanded beyond its ecosystem. While the move to introduce FaceTime on Windows is significant, Apple has put a few restrictions in place as well.
Moreover, if you want to get started with a FaceTime meeting, you first need to ask a friend who owns an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to generate a meeting link and share it with you. That means you can’t generate a FaceTime invite link on your Windows device. And you will be able to join a meeting only if you have the link.
As I mentioned above, you will need to ping a friend who owns a Mac or iPhone and ask them to create a meeting link to try FaceTime on Windows. If your friend is a Mac user, they can follow these steps to create and share a FaceTime invite link.
- Next, click on the tiny info button located next to the FaceTime link you have just generated.
While I have already detailed the process to generate a FaceTime invite link using an iOS device in our guide to making FaceTime calls between iPhone and Android, here’s a quick refresher.
- Finally, share the FaceTime invite link with a Windows user using your preferred method. You have the option to share it via several channels, including Messages, WhatsApp, email, Facebook Messenger, and more.
Note: We are using a Windows 10 PC to demo how FaceTime works on Windows, but the process remains the same for the newly launched Windows 11 and older-gen Windows 8 and Windows 7 OS.
- Now, enter your name in the FaceTime web experience and hit Continue.
For a better communication experience, FaceTime makes a few basic controls accessible to Windows users via the web. Let me show you how to fine-tune them.
Go to Full Screen: During the call, if you ever want to maximize the FaceTime window, click on the maximize button. You can click this button again to minimize the FaceTime window.
If you plan to frequently FaceTime your friends or colleagues, I would recommend you add a FaceTime bookmark to Google Chrome for hassle-free access. This way, you won’t have to dig through emails or conversation threads to find a meeting link time and time again. Moreover, you wouldn’t have to create a new meeting link each time. With the FaceTime bookmark at your disposal, you can get started with a meeting in a couple of clicks.
Though I am unsure how long a FaceTime meeting link remains valid, I can confirm that the link remains active for several days. I was able to use a two-week-old FaceTime link with my friends on Android while testing the feature. So, it’s a good idea to bookmark the FaceTime link.
Note: The process of adding a website to your favorites in Microsoft Edge is equally simple. Just open the FaceTime link in Microsoft Edge and click on the “Add this page to favorites” button in the address bar. After that, rename the favorite and hit Done.
To quickly access a FaceTime meeting link, you can add the link as a shortcut on the Chrome homepage. If you are a loyal Chrome user, you would already know that the process is pretty straightforward. Still, follow the steps below.
That’s pretty much it! While you can’t unlock all the FaceTime’s much-talked-about goodies on Windows, it’s now easier to stay connected with friends with Apple devices. So, that’s a welcome change – at long last. Since Apple has finally shown interest in expanding its presence beyond its closed garden, we might see a more powerful version of FaceTime on Windows soon. Well, I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
