The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put a halt to almost everything with the majority of people staying indoors and resorting to video calls to stay in touch with their co-workers as well as friends and family members.
In 2020, apps like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet saw a massive surge in use. In order to attract more users, Apple has announced all-new FaceTime features that make it more capable and allow people on different devices to attend calls.
As per The Verge, during its 2021 WWDC keynote, Apple announced that FaceTime is going to be available on the web so users can call in from Android devices and Windows PCs. The video calling service was previously only available on iOS and Mac devices.
Apple is turning FaceTime into a bit more of a Zoom-like video calling service with this update. FaceTime is also going to allow you to grab a link to a scheduled call so that you can share it with people in advance and join in at the right time.
However, a release date wasn't immediately announced. It sounds like the web features will launch with iOS 15 in the fall.
Apple announced several other FaceTime updates coming in iOS 15, too. There's a new grid view option, a voice isolation feature to improve sound quality, spatial audio support, and the option to blur your background with "portrait mode."
There is also a major new feature called SharePlay. SharePlay will let a group of people watch or listen to the same thing at once. The feature lets you pull in songs, videos, or share your screen.
Some major names are on board to support the feature, including Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO Max, and Twitch. Apple Music and Apple TV Plus support it, too, of course.
Virtual watch parties became popular during the pandemic, and SharePlay really dives into that.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor