To host video and audio calls on Android, you need to get a compatible app that has the features you want from FaceTime (and maybe some other features it doesn’t have). Once you’ve found the right one, get your friends and family to install the same app on their phones. Check out these alternatives to FaceTime for video calling on Android that are available at Google Play.
Facebook Messenger
Messenger is the standalone app version of Facebook’s web-based messaging feature. You can use it to video chat with your Facebook friends. It also offers voice calling (free when over Wi-Fi), text chat, multimedia messages, and group chats. Group calls on Messenger are limited to 50 people. Facebook Messenger Cost: Free. Platforms: Android, iOS, and the web.
imo
imo offers a standard set of features for a video calling app. It supports free video and voice calls over cellular data and Wi-Fi. It can be used for text chats between individuals and groups (up to 100,000 members!), and photo and video sharing. One nice feature of imo is that its chats and calls are private and secure because they’re encrypted. imo Cost: Free. Platforms: Android and iOS.
Line
Line offers video and voice calls, text chat, and group texts. It differs from similar apps because it includes a mobile payment platform and social networking features. Use Line to connect to your social media accounts and post statuses, comment on friend’s statuses, and follow celebrities and brands. It charges a fee for international calls (check rates), while other providers in this list offer this services for free. Line Cost: Free app. Outbound international calls are paid. Platforms: Android, Asha, Chrome OS, Firefox OS, iOS, Mac, Windows, and Windows Phone.
Skype
Skype is one of the oldest, most well known, and most widely used video calling apps. It offers voice and video calls, text chat, screen and file sharing, and more. It supports a wide range of devices, including some smart TVs and game consoles. The app is free, but calls to landlines and mobile phones, as well as international calls, are paid as you go or by subscription (check rates). Skype supports group calls of up to 50 people. Skype Cost: Free app. Pay for calls to landline, mobile, and international numbers. Platforms: Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows, and Windows Phone. It can also be used in a web browser.
Tango
You won’t pay for any calls—international, landlines, otherwise—when you use Tango, though it does offer in-app purchases of e-cards and surprise packs of stickers, filters, and games. It supports voice and video calls, text chat, and media sharing. It also has some social features including public chats and the ability to follow other users. Tango Messenger Cost: Free app, with in-app purchases. Platforms: Android and iOS.
Viber
Viber ticks practically every box for an app in this category. It offers free video and voice calls, text chat with individuals and groups up to 250 people, photo and video sharing, and in-app games. In-app purchases add stickers that spice up your communications. Calling to landlines and mobiles is paid; only Viber-to-Viber calls are free. Viber Cost: Free app, in-app purchases, and landline and mobile calls are paid. Platforms: Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows.
WhatsApp became widely known when Facebook bought it for US$19 billion in 2014. Since then it’s grown to over one billion monthly users. WhatsApp offers a robust set of features, including free app-to-app voice and video calls worldwide, the ability to send recorded audio messages and text messages, group chats, and photo and video sharing. Whatsapp has a group limit of four people. WhatsApp Cost: Free app. Platforms: Android, iOS, Nokia, Windows Phone, and the web. The web version is only for texting, not calling.
Why You Can’t Get FaceTime for Android
In theory, FaceTime could be compatible with Android because both use common audio, video, and networking technologies. But to make it work, Apple would need to release an official version of FaceTime for Android or developers would need to create a compatible app. Developers probably won’t be able to create a compatible app since FaceTime is encrypted end to end and it would require breaking that encryption or having Apple open it. Android may be open source (though that’s not completely accurate) and allow for customization by users, but adding features and customizations requires cooperation from third parties. It’s possible that Apple could bring FaceTime to Android, but it’s unlikely. The company originally said it planned to make FaceTime an open standard but that’s never happened. Apple and Google compete in the smartphone market. Keeping FaceTime exclusive to the iPhone gives Apple an edge.
