Technologies

With iOS 15, you no longer need an iPhone to FaceTime: How to use it on Android

Android and Windows users can now join FaceTime calls with iOS 15. We’ll walk you through how to do it.

This story is part of WWDC 2021. All the latest coverage from Apple’s annual developers conference.

Non-Apple people have a reason to celebrate: The days when you needed an iPhone, iPad or Mac to join a FaceTime video call are all but over. In a move widely seen as Apple’s answer to Zoom video calls, the software giant has made it possible for people who have Android phones and Windows laptops to hop on FaceTime calls — no iPhone required.

That isn’t to say that Apple devices are cut out of the process. In fact, they’re still so much part of the heart of FaceTime that the system will rely on the new iOS 15 operating system — now available to download free — to look and work more like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. In addition to being able to video chat people outside Apple’s bubble, FaceTime updates include a new grid view, Portrait Mode, the ability to schedule calls, as well as a watch party feature called SharePlay.

Here’s how to join FaceTime calls with iOS 15, no matter what device you’re using.

How to start a FaceTime call with Android or Windows users

The key here isn’t that the FaceTime app is coming to Android and Windows. It’s that you’ll be able to jump on a FaceTime call using a link, so long as the person scheduling or starting the call has an Apple device and an Apple account. If you’re an Apple user and have downloaded iOS 15, here’s how to get a FaceTime call started with those on Android or Windows devices.

1. Open the FaceTime app on your phone.

2. Tap Create Link.

3. A screen will slide up from the bottom that says FaceTime Link. You can click Add Name to enter a name for your chat.

4. On the same screen, you’ll see options to share the link through text, email, Twitter, calendar or other apps you have on your phone. Or, you can copy and paste the link yourself.

5. To join the call yourself, tap the name of the chat you just created, and tap Join.

6. When the Android or Windows user clicks the link, it will take them to a waiting room where you can allow them to join the call by tapping a check next to their name.

How to join a FaceTime call using Android or Windows

To join a FaceTime call on an Android or Windows device, all you need is the link sent to you by the person with an Apple device. You don’t need to download a separate app. Here’s how to join a FaceTime call through a shared link.

1. Open the FaceTime link from wherever it was shared with you.

2. The link will open in your browser (you’ll need the latest version of Chrome or Edge). Enter your name, and tap Continue.

3. The screen will say «Waiting to be let in,» until the person who invited you approves you to join the call.

That’s it! Happy video chatting.

Apple noted at WWDC in June that even on the web, FaceTime calls are always end-to-end encrypted.

For more, check out these FaceTime tips and tricks and everything else to know about iOS 15.

Technologies

New California Law Wants Companion Chatbots to Tell Kids to Take Breaks

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the new requirements on AI companions into law on Monday.

AI companion chatbots will have to remind users in California that they’re not human under a new law signed Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The law, SB 243, also requires companion chatbot companies to maintain protocols for identifying and addressing cases in which users express suicidal ideation or self-harm. For users under 18, chatbots will have to provide a notification at least every three hours that reminds users to take a break and that the bot is not human.

It’s one of several bills Newsom has signed in recent weeks dealing with social media, artificial intelligence and other consumer technology issues. Another bill signed Monday, AB 56, requires warning labels on social media platforms, similar to those required for tobacco products. Last week, Newsom signed measures requiring internet browsers to make it easy for people to tell websites they don’t want them to sell their data and banning loud advertisements on streaming platforms.

AI companion chatbots have drawn particular scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators in recent months. The Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into several companies in response to complaints by consumer groups and parents that the bots were harming children’s mental health. OpenAI introduced new parental controls and other guardrails in its popular ChatGPT platform after the company was sued by parents who allege ChatGPT contributed to their teen son’s suicide.

«We’ve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we won’t stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability,» Newsom said in a statement.

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One AI companion developer, Replika, told CNET that it already has protocols to detect self-harm as required by the new law, and that it is working with regulators and others to comply with requirements and protect consumers.

«As one of the pioneers in AI companionship, we recognize our profound responsibility to lead on safety,» Replika’s Minju Song said in an emailed statement. Song said Replika uses content-filtering systems, community guidelines and safety systems that refer users to crisis resources when needed.

A Character.ai spokesperson said the company «welcomes working with regulators and lawmakers as they develop regulations and legislation for this emerging space, and will comply with laws, including SB 243.» OpenAI spokesperson Jamie Radice called the bill a «meaningful move forward» for AI safety. «By setting clear guardrails, California is helping shape a more responsible approach to AI development and deployment across the country,» Radice said in an email.

One bill Newsom has yet to sign, AB 1064, would go further by prohibiting developers from making companion chatbots available to children unless the AI companion is «not foreseeably capable of» encouraging harmful activities or engaging in sexually explicit interactions, among other things.

Technologies

Slack Is Transforming Slackbot Into an AI Assistant

Enhancements will make the simple bot act more like an AI chatbot.

Slackbot, the assistant within the team communication platform Slack, is getting AI enhancements and integrations with other AI chatbots to become more agentic, Slack said in a presentation at Dreamforce, a tech conference in San Francisco, on Monday.

Slackbot works as a simple assistant, sending people reminders, notifications or updates about their colleagues. It isn’t conversational in the same way ChatGPT is. With these AI enhancements, Slackbot will soon function more like an AI chatbot, able to do things on a person’s behalf.

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Enterprise users will soon be able to converse with Slackbot, asking it to help with projects or analyze documents. Slack will also integrate with Google Drive, One Drive, and Salesforce. OpenAI, Anthropic, Perplexity, and others are bringing their agents into Slack as well. For example, you can ask @Claude to do a web search or scan your workspace to find new insights.

At the moment, the AI version of Slackbot is in beta and limited to 70,000 users. However, it will be released to all users in January 2026. Slack will then roll out the feature broader later this year. Companies can also turn off Slackbot.

A representative for Slack referred reporters to its blog post.

The AI-ification of apps has been a common trend since the release of ChatGPT. Apps like Duolingo, Canva, Phot,oshop, and others have all added AI features to make things easier for users and to attract investor dollars. Slack’s biggest competitor in the space, Microsoft Teams, has been integrating more AI features recently.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 14, #856

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Oct. 14, No. 856.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

NYT Connections fans, we’re used to this. The purple category today requires you to remove the starting letter of four words, and spot their connection once you’ve done that. If you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Dazzle, entrance.

Green group hint: Short version.

Blue group hint: Stop!

Purple group hint: Not humans, and remove one letter.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Captivate.

Green group: Summary.

Blue group: Halt.

Purple group: Animals minus starting letter.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is captivate. The four answers are absorb, engage, hold and occupy.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is summary. The four answers are brief, digest, outline and review.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is halt. The four answers are check, curb, staunch and stem.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is animals minus starting letter. The four answers are anther, easel, hark and lama. (Panther, weasel, shark and llama. Yes, «anther» is a real word.)