FaceTime for Android — WWDC 2021

A few weeks ago Apple had its annual WWDC and they unveiled a plethora of software products and updates coming to the Apple ecosystem. This consisted of new operating system updates (iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch), health features, privacy updates, and specifically FaceTime. While a write up could be done on most of these releases, I’d like to focus on FaceTime since it’s such a fundamental app for everyone’s iPhone and it’s doing something I thought I’d never see, compatibility with Android.

At this point everyone is familiar with FaceTime and its functionality (especially after the pandemic), but here is a quick update on what Apple is adding. Group FaceTime got a revamp with spacial audio so users’ voices come from where they are located on the screen, and they added a neat grid view so everyone can be seen at once. Apple also introduced portrait mode and different microphone modes depending on one’s level of background noise. Keeping consistent with the Zoom-like features being added, SharePlay is being introduced which allows users to share their screens and sync up apps with everyone on the FaceTime call (group Tik Tok binges incoming). And Lastly, FaceTime Links is being added which will allow users to add FaceTime calls to their calendar and, most importantly, be able to share these links with people on Windows desktops and Android phones.

As mentioned, there were a multitude of new software features released at WWDC 2021, but the reason the FaceTime Links update is so important is because this is one of the few times where Apple has made iOS exclusive apps compatible with Android users. So, why did they do that?

The answer to this is two parted: Apple is focused on optimizing user experience and, more technically, video conferencing infrastructure in the web browser is now up to par in terms of security.

First, Apple cares deeply about its users and their experience with their products. While the iOS-to-iOS interaction is nothing short of phenomenal, they admit that shortcomings arise when outside operating systems come into play. Therefore, with the idea of inclusivity when it comes to family and friends in mind, Apple introduced FaceTime Links to allow for its Apple users to have the best experience as possible. Craig Federighi said it himself that there is always someone in the group that is not on the iOS platform and you do not want to use a third-party app, so you “pull them in” and include them on FaceTime. Ultimately, this is about giving already existing iPhone users the best experience possible, Apple knows that FaceTime is good, so they are trying to reduce any hurdles that might make their users not use it when trying to video call someone.

Secondly, Craig discussed a very important reason for this which is security. End-to-end encryption is basically Apple’s middle name at this point, and before recently this was not possible for video calling outside of Apple devices on the web browser. According to Craig, FaceTime has been end-to-end encrypted since it was always all Apple devices, but they have been hard at work making their FaceTime client provide the same security when Android users are on the call. Although I believe the first reason about user experience is the more influential of the two on why this is being released now, security is always appreciated and this release adds another win in Apple’s security dominance relative to its peers.

When we think about product strategy, Apple is not being totally consistent with this decision to offer Android users exclusive access to one of its first-party apps. And by consistency I’m referring to how there has always been a hard line when it comes to iOS and Android (i.e., iMessage, FaceTime, AirDrop). So the strategy question arises if Apple did this as a marketing tool to win over fringe Android users or if this is purely a user experience play for its existing users?

I do believe it is the latter and I actually think that the idea that this might be a marketing effort is counterintuitive. One of the most compelling elements of Apple products is that you enter into this ecosystem of well designed first-party apps. By having walled gardens limiting only Apple hardware owners to these apps, this converts magnitudes of past Android users because they either want the great functionality or they want to stop being harassed by their friends for making a group chat have green text bubbles. Either way, by offering FaceTime Links to Android users this reduces some of that exclusivity marketing that Apple has setup.

So if offering FaceTime for Android actually hurts its marketing efforts of converting users, then what is the point? It all comes back to what Craig mentioned earlier which is making the best user experience possible for Apple hardware owners. Apple has realized that the experience is not great, and actually not possible with its first-party app, when someone in the group does not have an iPhone and the goal is to video chat. This altruistic approach gives up some of the propriety of its FaceTime app, but with that it provides more functionality that competes with Zoom and leaves its users happier.

Lastly, what is my opinion of FaceTime Links? In short, I think it is a great update and I am not surprised it was released at WWDC. Apple has a tendency to lag when it comes to software or hardware product offerings, but when they get there they nail it. I believe this plays out the same way since they took their time to make sure it worked properly and that it was safe from a cybersecurity perspective, and that is admirable. For someone who has historically been a hard critic of Apple in the past, they have really proven me wrong time and time again with its focus on user experience and safety.

Overall, this is a win for Apple but mainly a win for consumers who get a super cool update to the entire FaceTime app. I am excited for Links but also I think SharePlay is underrated as I am always trying to show friends/family something when I am FaceTiming them. And with this I have to bring it up, but given the Android compatibility can we possibly expect to see something along the same lines but for iMessage?? The answer is certainly no, but one can hope.