FaceTime for Android can face-plant, according to our readers

What you need to know
- We asked our readers if they were excited by Apple's announcement that it will make its popular FaceTime video chat service available to Android users.
- Nearly half of respondents said flat out that they didn't care.
- Almost as many were lukewarm about the announcement, while nearly a quarter of respondents said they were actually excited by the news.
On Monday, Apple kicked off its WWDC conference with a two-hour keynote presentation filled with new announcements about its latest software releases. One of the biggest pieces of news for iOS was the announcement that the company would be making its popular FaceTime video calling service available to Android and Windows users via web links. Since communicating with our iPhone-toting friends and family can sometimes be a challenge, we wanted to hear from the Android community whether or not they were excited by these developments.
Over 42% of respondents said that they were not interested in using Apple's FaceTime web solution, calling it a second-rate solution. 36% said they'd participate in calls if friends sent them a link but that they wouldn't be rushing to try the feature. Only 21% indicated that they were truly excited about using FaceTime on their Android phones.
Reader beno51079's comments perfectly summarize the overall sentiment of our readers:
Nope, I have an iPhone for people that I know that use iPhones, and for everyone else I use Android (my daily driver). Why would I be excited for what is a half-baked attempt by Apple to include Android users in FaceTime calls? FaceTime is overrated and I prefer the much better video calling solutions like WhatsApp which isn't restrictive like FaceTime is.
Dominique Knobben on Facebook had no problem telling it like it is:
On Twitter, the reaction was a bit more diverse but interesting nonetheless.
No. Every iOS user I know has Duo, WhatsApp, or if worse comes to worse, Facebook for video chat.
What we really need is something to change those stupid "Liked [your text message]" or "Laughed at [your text message] we get from iMessage users to actual emojisNo. Every iOS user I know has Duo, WhatsApp, or if worse comes to worse, Facebook for video chat.
What we really need is something to change those stupid "Liked [your text message]" or "Laughed at [your text message] we get from iMessage users to actual emojis— James Wyman (@jaswyman) June 9, 2021June 9, 2021
It's not really available for Android. We can only join a call from a link. We can't initiate a new call from web.It's not really available for Android. We can only join a call from a link. We can't initiate a new call from web.— Kevin Smith (@kevinslife2) June 9, 2021June 9, 2021
Eh not really, there are an infinite number of ways to communicate with folks no matter which OS they prefer. Not having Facetime has never been a hinderance so can't really say I care too much about it coming now.Eh not really, there are an infinite number of ways to communicate with folks no matter which OS they prefer. Not having Facetime has never been a hinderance so can't really say I care too much about it coming now.— Samuel Anthony (@sammms22876) June 9, 2021June 9, 2021
Honestly, it's too little too late. And it feels like a half-hearted effort. Everyone else makes sure their native apps and services work on all platforms.Honestly, it's too little too late. And it feels like a half-hearted effort. Everyone else makes sure their native apps and services work on all platforms.— Marian Crkon (@mariancrkon) June 9, 2021June 9, 2021
Our FaceTime for Android poll is now closed, but we're always interested in hearing what our Android faithful think about Apple products and services. Keep an eye out for our weekend poll this Saturday to share more of your opinions.
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Jeramy is the Editor-in-Chief of Android Central. He is proud to help *Keep Austin Weird* and loves hiking in the hill country of central Texas with a breakfast taco in each hand. You can follow him on Twitter at @jeramyutgw.
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Nope, don't care about it. Our daughter has an iFruity and we video chat with her just fine using other means.
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Didn't Steve Jobs claim it would be cross-platform back when FaceTime was announced about a decade ago?
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By "cross platform" he meant iOS and MacOS.
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Why use a link when there are tons of full on apps that work fine in both iOS and Android without resorting to anyone having "green bubble" status. Duo works great, as does Google Meet, Zoom, and a host of others.
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You Android tech writers are so butt hurt over Apple it’s hilarious
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Facetime for Android? Who cares? We have Duo, WhatsApp and many more, while iPhone users have FaceTime, which is as restrictive and locked down as every other Apple service. No thanks, Apple can do one with their FaceTime "links" for Android.
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It's a nice additional option when you need to video chat a group, where most have Apple and few have other devices. Yea you could use Zoom, Skype, Duo for that matter, but you still need to set up the meet asynchronously. Unlikely everyone has the same VTC app open all the time. That's the one nice thing about FaceTime. On an iOS device, it is just always available, and I can count on my Apple acquaintances being 'logged on" too. There are some groups that always have the same social/collaboration app open, WeChat, TEAMS, but you can't always count on that, even on the same platform, like you can with FaceTime on iOS.
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I'm good with Google Duo, even though it remains probably the most underrated video call app.
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