Facetime is a Video calling application offered by Apple Inc. It is supported on all Apple devices which have a front camera. This includes the iPod, iPad and Macbook as well. In today’s article, we shall read a little bit about Facetime and explore some of its best alternatives available on Android.
Facetime was developed exclusively for Apple devices in 2010. It supports iPhone 4 and above. It is compatible only with devices that have a front camera. This includes iPod, iPhone, iPad and a Macbook as well. It means that an Apple user can contact another Apple user irrespective of the Apple device they are on. It is available for devices that are running iOS 10.0 and above. A Facetime HD camera is a must for using the app. Facetime is available on the Apple App Store.
Despite many claims by everyone, Facetime app on android and pc is not officially available. Do not use iOS emulators and freeware. They might infect your PC and steal your data. So how can you use an amazing video calling software on your PC.
Fret not! There are several alternatives to Facetime which are perfect for your Video calling requirements. Android applications have a very wide range of features that are quite handy. Read our article on the alternatives to Facetime.
Alternatives to Facetime for Android:
Once upon a time, Android had a wide selection of video calling applications. Eventually, only a few of them are available now, which we are going to discuss below. Basically, we are looking for some applications which compete against the likes of Facetime by Apple. The features we are looking for are as follows:
- HD quality video
- Clear and High definition audio
- Good bandwidth management
- Compatibility with older software versions
These are the basic features we are looking for when we choose a video calling software. Sometimes, there are nifty additional features which we would appreciate and some of them are as follows:
- Call recording (Native call recording with native audio sources)
- Integrated chat
- Encrypted calls (Sensitive information can be communicated without fear)
- Attach files (No need to switch tabs to email the files separately. Conversation mode maintains clarity)
Most of these features are not available in all the video calling applications. While they are appreciated, it takes a ton of effort to integrate all these features into a single application. Here are some video calling applications which are an alternative to Facetime.
Note:
None of them will be able to interface with the Apple Facetime application. You can only make calls to other people using the same application. The applications are:
- Google Meet :
Google Meet is one of the robust applications from Google that made video calling quite easy. It has a simple interface and is elegant and refined. Currently, Google meet is on top of the list of video calling applications available on the Play Store. Previously, it was available exclusively for G-suite members, this application is now available for all Gmail users. The best feature is that it does not require a heavy internet bandwidth. Some other features include Native Screen recording with Native audio. It means you can record the session with the audio from all the sources within the meeting. It made meetings easier since no third-party applications were required for the same.
- Google Duo :
Another consumer oriented application is Google Duo. It was released alongside Google Allo but the sole survivor of the line of applications. It has high quality video and audio which is of exceptional studio quality. Also, there is an option to use the app on data saver. The latest news is that Google Duo is about to be made available for TV as well. For group calls of upto 8 members, Google Duo remains one of the best applications out there.
- Microsoft Teams :
Microsoft has been around for almost 3-4 decades now. Since the 1900s, Microsoft has churned out various softwares and applications that are the world’s best till date. In order to integrate the office suite of applications, it has introduced Microsoft Teams. This is purely a formal mode of communication for collaboration. It has proved to be exceptionally good especially during these difficult times. Working from home has made things a little more difficult. However, with the help of applications like Microsoft Teams, the workflow became a lot more smoother than we could expect.
- Skype by Microsoft :
Skype was a company that developed a video calling application much earlier than any other company in the world at the time. It was loaded with features and was unique for its business model. Microsoft acquired it later on and redesigned the app for its consumers. Today, Skype has many features that include calling any phone in the world right from within the application itself. It has Video calls, Audio calls, Messaging, File sharing and Calendar built right in.
- Jio Meet :
One of the latest applications introduced by Jio during the lockdown was Jio Meet. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the Jio Meet application that it looked very much like the Zoom app (which is another great application). Despite all the negativity surrounding its launch, Jio Meet is an excellent application for Video conferencing. There is also an added benefit that this is made by an Indian company. Jio customers can avail all the bouquet of Jio apps just by subscribing to a Jio sim card. There is no extra charge for any of the other suite of Jio apps.
- Zoom :
Zoom is a no-brainer sometimes. When the lockdown began, offices could not stop functioning and hence everybody turned to online collaboration tools. The Zoom app has the following features:
- Meetings and In-app messaging
- Conduct a Webinar online
- Create a Conference room and conduct an invite-only online meeting
- Directly call a phone number from the application (This is available on Skype as well)
- Zoom marketplace (where you can buy credits to call phone numbers)
Consumer alternatives:
- Hangouts :
Hangouts is an older software that was used for the same function. However, if you want to keep conversations separate, you can use the Hangouts application until 2021. It is simple and easy to use as well. Hangouts offers most of the features in the above applications except for call recording.
- Whatsapp :
Whatsapp is not a formal mode to call someone. However, for a one-on-one conversation, Whatsapp is fairly easy to use. It does not require much bandwidth and can make simple video and audio calls over Wifi or LTE networks.
- Viber :
Viber has been around since for quite some time and you can make free calls to all the Viber users around the world. It is quite easy to use and has a familiar interface. There are indeed some issues with Viber which did not propel it to much success. However, in case you want to try out an alternative, Viber is an average option to turn to, just in case.
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