FaceTime On Apple Watch: What You Can & Can't Do Explained
FaceTime is available on an Apple Watch, but it is unlikely to be the version that many Apple device users will be expecting. Understanding what can and can’t be done when calling others on an Apple Watch can help to make sure the smartwatch wearer doesn’t run into any issues when trying to get in contact with friends or family.
An Apple Watch is capable of doing many things and irrespective of whether it is connected to an iPhone at the time. However, how much an individual Watch can do will depend on the model. Not only do newer Apple Watch models come with more features and supports than older ones, but there are also cellular-enabled versions as well. This latter group of Apple Watch models are able to do the most without the help of an iPhone, including making calls.
FaceTime Audio is available on Apple Watch, allowing wearers to quickly and easily call others. To start a FaceTime Audio call on any of Apple's smartwatches, open the Phone app and then tap on Contacts. Following which, the Digital Crown can be used to scroll down and select the contact to call. Once on the right contact, tap the phone button, followed by the FaceTime Audio button. As this is FaceTime Audio and not the standard version of FaceTime, there are some limitations.
As the name suggests, FaceTime Audio is an audio-only communications service. Due to this, there is no option to start a FaceTime video call on an Apple Watch. In reality, this should not be all that surprising, considering the Apple Watch isn’t equipped with a camera to begin with, so there's no way to capture an image of the wearer, let alone engage in a full video chat on the smartwatch. Overall, FaceTime Audio is not that different to making an actual phone call, with the major difference being the call is handled via Wi-Fi or a cellular data connection.
Another important difference relates to FaceTime in general and how it is so tightly linked to Apple’s ecosystem. For example, users won’t be able to FaceTime Audio call someone who doesn’t also use an Apple device, whether it is an Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad or a Mac. Even if they do own an Apple device already, making a FaceTime Audio call will still depend on whether the other user has set up their own FaceTime account.
Although a FaceTime Audio call is largely the same as a standard phone call, the integration can make calling others on compatible devices a little bit easier. Not to mention, opening up the option to call others on an Apple device that’s not a smartphone or one typically used for making calls. While video calls on an Apple Watch are not possible, that could change in the future, if and when Apple decides to add a camera to its smartwatch.
Source: Apple
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