Apple gave its WWDC keynote speech yesterday and announced that it was bringing a popular feature over to Windows and Android. Nope, not iMessage, instead the Cupertino company said that its FaceTime video calling service is going to roll out on the Web, which means that Windows and Android users will be able to join in, kinda.
When I say ‘kinda’ I mean partially because as you might expect from Apple, Windows and Android users will only be able to participate in FaceTime video calls if an Apple user sends them an invite. Windows and Android users will not be able to initiate a FaceTime call, so it’s kinda like being a peasant in the village who is waiting for an invite to the big house on the hill.
Other limitations include the following:
- Web users will not be able to share their screen, nor will they be able to see the shared screen of other participants
- Android and Windows users will also not be able to approve or kick people from a call, nor watch and listen together using Apple’s new SharePlay feature
It’s great that Windows and Android users can finally participate in FaceTime calls on the web if invited, but Apple’s arbitrary limitations are a touch on the spiteful side of things.
