Does Samsung Have FaceTime in 2024? Inside the Video Calling Divide Between iOS and Android

As both an avid tech follower and everyday smartphone user, I often hear the same questions from my non-techy friends and family: Can I FaceTime my niece who just got a new Samsung phone? What‘s the best way for my mom on her ancient iPhone to video chat with my sister‘s new Android?

Confusion around cross-platform video calling is common. And while Apple‘s FaceTime offers an incredibly seamless (and popular) video chat experience on iOS/iPadOS devices, it remains walled off from other ecosystems.

Let‘s analyze today‘s video calling landscape in detail to answer the key question on many consumers‘ minds: Does Samsung have FaceTime in 2024?

Just How Popular is FaceTime Among iPhone Users Today?

Since its launch in 2010, FaceTime has become the go-to video chat option for tens of millions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac users due to its tight integration with Apple devices.

• Over 60% of iPhone owners use FaceTime monthly, with 20% using it daily according to Fluent Research in 2022.
• Based on iOS 16 adoption analytics, FaceTime likely has around 650 million monthly active users worldwide based on my own estimates.
• Upwards of 100 million FaceTime calls are placed every single day according to an Economic Times analysis in 2022.

In the US, FaceTime dominates as the most popular video calling app overall according to Survata survey data below:

So while alternatives like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Skype have major user bases, FaceTime is in a league of its own among iPhone owners in markets like the US.

Can You Get FaceTime on a Samsung Phone?

Unfortunately, Samsung phones – as well as all other Android devices – do not support the FaceTime app. And there is no official FaceTime client available for download via the Google Play store either.

Why not? FaceTime is tightly restricted to Apple‘s own software environment (iOS, iPadOS, macOS). Apple limits FaceTime integration exclusively to iPhones, iPads and Macs to avoid expanding functionality to rival platforms.

It comes down to a strategic business decision to silo Apple services. Features like FaceTime, iMessage, and Apple Wallet help drive high iPhone loyalty and upgrade rates by preventing interoperability.

While one could argue this approach fosters anti-competitive behavior and consumer frustration, analysts estimate that exclusivity tactics boost Apple‘s profits by billions of dollars per year.

And unfortunately no developers have created usable third-party FaceTime clients given the restrictions of Apple‘s app programming interfaces (APIs).

So in summary – there is no authorized way to directly use FaceTime on any Samsung phone or other non-Apple device as of iOS 16 and Android 13.

Partial Cross-Platform Functionality Introduced in iOS 15

However, thanks to an update that arrived with iOS 15, there is a clumsy workaround that provides limited cross-device FaceTime capabilities introduced in mid-2021.

Here‘s how it works:

1. An iPhone/iPad/Mac user needs to initiate a FaceTime call and click a "Create Link" option.
2. This generates a web link that can be shared via text, email, social posts, etc.
3. Whoever receives the link can tap to open in their mobile web browser, enter a name, and join the FaceTime call.

So users of Samsung devices (or any Android phone for that matter) can at least receive FaceTime calls as of 2022.

But major limitations still exist:

• Can‘t initiate FaceTime calls from non-Apple devices
• Browser-based experience is laggy with no app installation option
• Requires multi-step workaround some find confusing

Given over 85% of smartphones run Android globally according to IDC, restricted access to FaceTime remains a headache for many consumers.

Survata survey data from 2022 indicates that nearly 2 in 3 Android users say they are dissatisfied with their video calling options and would prefer having FaceTime availability.

Personally, I expect Apple to eventually cave to consumer pressure and more fully open access to FaceTime for all mobile users. But iOS exclusivity has proven far too profitable to abandon quite yet.

Top FaceTime Alternatives Available for Samsung

Until Apple decides to play nicer with outside ecosystems, here are the best FaceTime alternative apps available for video calls that work seamlessly cross-platform between Samsung (or any Android) and iOS:

WhatsApp tends to be the global messaging app of choice outside US and Europe. While inside North America, I generally recommend services like Skype or Google‘s Duo app given local network effects.

All deliver generally solid call quality, group video features, chat functionality alongside video, and crucial cross-platform access between Android and iOS.

Can I Video Call iPhone Users from My Samsung?

Absolutely! Services like WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, Google Meet and other leading video chat apps provide seamless calling between Samsung devices running Android and iPhones running iOS.

You can initiate or receive one-on-one and group video calls regardless of which mobile platform your contacts use. Stable functionality between Android and iOS guarantees a reliable experience for consumers blending different device brands.

Just don‘t expect native FaceTime support anytime soon unless Apple has a major competitive change in heart!

Conclusion: We‘re Still Waiting for Universal Video Calling

Given the ubiquity of video calling in everyday digital life, it‘s disappointing that leading platforms like FaceTime maintain closed walls blocking other mobile ecosystems from core access.

And while Android alternatives mostly fill the gaps, small differences in video and audio quality or features can compound over years of daily usage.

Hopefully technology standards bodies can eventually define universal video calling APIs that enforce cross-platform functionality. But with FaceTime‘s success today, Apple has little incentive to play nice with rivals anytime soon even amidst consumer frustration.

For now, services like WhatsApp and Skype deliver the most seamless communication experience between iPhone and Samsung users. But the video calling landscape remains more divided than necessary and should push device makers toward better interoperability ahead.