Technologies

Apple Has a Surprising FaceTime Feature for PC and Android Phone Owners

No special software needed. Whether you have an Android phone or a Windows PC, Apple made it so you can join FaceTime calls with iPhone owners.

FaceTime is one of the most popular features on the iPhone and lets users make video and audio calls across Apple devices. But for years if you had a friend or family member on an Android phone or PC you weren’t able to have them join. All that changed in 2021, when the iPhone-maker made it possible for Android and Windows users to join FaceTime calls. This was one of the initial steps Apple took to make its ecosystem more accessible, though these changes are still quite limited.

For example, while iMessage remains exclusive to iOS, Apple announced RCS support as part of iOS 18 at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Rich Communication Services is used widely on Android phones for texting and Apple’s adoption should improve the messaging experience between iPhone users and those on Android devices. This doesn’t mean the end of blue and green bubbles, though. The announcement is another sign that Apple sees value in giving Android users access to some of its most well-known features, albeit on its own terms.

When Apple announced it was expanding FaceTime access, many were under the impression that Apple had made FaceTime for Android, when in reality the company had made it possible for people to join a FaceTime call from a web browser. This means Android and PC users can participate in FaceTime conversations, but there’s a catch: they can’t initiate calls directly, they can only join when invited. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to initiate FaceTime calls to Android users if you’re an iPhone user, and how to receive FaceTime calls if you use an Android phone.

FaceTime: How to video chat on Android or a PC

Like with any call, someone has to initiate it. And if you’re on an Android phone or using a PC, that person is going to have to be someone with an iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Here’s how to initiate a FaceTime call as an iOS user:

Open the FaceTime app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap Create Link.
A screen will slide up from the bottom that says FaceTime Link.
Click Add Name to enter a name for your chat.
On the same screen, you’ll see options to share the FaceTime link via Messages, Mail, Calendar or other apps on your iPhone or iPad. You can also choose to copy and paste the link yourself.

The process is nearly identical to generating a FaceTime video call link from a Mac.

If you’re an Android user, here’s how to join a FaceTime call:

Click the FaceTime call link sent by an iOS user.
The link will open in your browser (you’ll need the latest version of Chrome or Edge).
Enter your name, and tap Continue.
Wait for the iOS host to let you in.
Enjoy your cross-platform FaceTime conversation.

If you’re on a PC, this process works as well.

Remember, Android alternatives including Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams allow Android users to initiate video calls, and remain great options for video calls between Android and iOS devices.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for March 15, #1008

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for March 15, No. 1,008

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.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough, but the yellow category has some fun options in it. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times 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: Mine, all mine!

Green group hint: A part you might use to build something.

Blue group hint: Blended words.

Purple group hint: Not a cow, but close.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Greedily control.

Green group: Toothed wheels.

Blue group: Portmanteaux.

Purple group: Bull ____.

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 greedily control. The four answers are bogart, corner, hog and monopolize.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is toothed wheels. The four answers are cog, gear, pinion and sprocket.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is portmanteaux. The four answers are blog, motel, smog and spork.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is bull ____. The four answers are dog, doze, frog and horn.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for March 15, #742

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for March 15, No. 742.

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

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is fun and timely, relating to a certain big ceremony held this weekend. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Best of all

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: The envelope, please.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

RATE, RATED, DATE, DOTE, DATED, DOTED, GATE, GATES, TROD, TRODS

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers: