You've probably been there. You're sitting with your shiny new Galaxy S24 or S25, and your friend with an iPhone wants to "FaceTime" you. They look at your phone, look at you, and shrug like you're carrying a rotary phone from 1950. It's annoying. For a decade, the answer was a hard, flat "No." Apple kept their video chat behind a walled garden that was tougher to scale than a literal fortress.
But things changed. Kind of.
If you’re asking can Samsung do FaceTime, the honest answer is: yes, but with a massive asterisk. You won't find a FaceTime app in the Google Play Store. Don't even bother looking for one; any "FaceTime" app you see there is a scam or a cheap knockoff designed to show you ads. However, thanks to some software updates Apple pushed a few years back, Samsung users can now join the party. They just can't host it.
The Web Link Workaround: How It Actually Works
Basically, a Samsung phone treats FaceTime like a website. You don’t need an Apple ID, and you don’t need to buy a Mac. You just need a link. It’s exactly like joining a Zoom call or a Google Meet session.
Here is the catch: an iPhone user has to start the call. You, as the Samsung owner, are essentially a guest in their house. They go into their FaceTime app, hit a button that says "Create Link," and then text or email that link to you.
When you tap that link on your Samsung, it opens up in your browser—usually Google Chrome or Samsung Internet. You’ll be asked to type in your name so they know who's knocking. Then, you wait in a virtual "waiting room" until the person on the iPhone taps a button to let you in. It’s a bit clunky compared to the seamless "click and talk" experience on iOS, but it works.
👉 See also: Is the iPhone 16 Pro Max 512GB Desert Titanium Actually Worth It?
Why the Browser Matters
You can't just use any random browser you found in 2012. To make this work in 2026, you really need to be on the latest version of Chrome or Microsoft Edge. If your browser is out of date, the video will stutter, or the "Join" button might just refuse to appear. Apple uses a technology called WebRTC to make this happen, and it requires a modern browser to handle the heavy lifting of video and audio processing.
What You Miss Out On
Being a guest on FaceTime isn't the same as being a member. When you're on your Samsung, you’re getting the "Lite" version of the experience.
Honestly, it feels a little lonely. You won't have access to Memojis (those animated avatars that mimic your face). You can't use Portrait Mode to blur out your messy room unless your specific Samsung browser settings allow for some kind of workaround. You also can’t use SharePlay, which means you can’t watch movies or listen to music in sync with your friends during the call.
And the biggest bummer? You can't start the call. If you want to talk to your mom and she has an iPhone, you have to text her first and ask her to send you a link. It’s a one-way street of initiative.
Samsung's Own Heavy Hitters
While everyone talks about FaceTime because of the brand name, Samsung actually has some arguably better tech built right into the dialer.
If you have a modern Galaxy phone, you've probably noticed the "Google Meet" integration. Samsung and Google got real cozy recently, and now Google Meet is basically the "FaceTime of Android." It’s built directly into the Phone app. If you’re calling another Android user, you can often just tap a video icon right on the keypad.
Google Meet handles group calls for up to 100 people for free, which absolutely blows FaceTime’s 32-person limit out of the water. Plus, it works on iPhones too. If your iPhone friends are willing to download one app, the experience is much more "equal" than the weird guest-link system Apple uses.
The Best Alternatives for Samsung Users in 2026
If the whole "waiting for a link" thing feels too submissive for your tastes, there are plenty of other ways to get high-def face time with people.
- WhatsApp: This is the king. Almost everyone has it. It doesn't matter if you're on a $2,000 Galaxy Fold or a $200 budget iPhone; WhatsApp just works. The video quality is surprisingly high-bitrate, and it’s encrypted.
- Telegram: For the people who want more features than they know what to do with. The video calls are crisp, and you can have thousands of people in a group (though why you’d want to video chat with a thousand people is beyond me).
- Signal: If you’re worried about privacy, this is the one. It’s the gold standard for security.
- Facebook Messenger: Kinda "old school" now, but it's convenient because you don't need a phone number, just a Facebook account.
Troubleshooting the "No Connection" Nightmare
Sometimes you get the link, you click it, and... nothing. Black screen. Or it says "Connecting" forever.
First, check your permissions. Your browser is going to ask if it can use your camera and microphone. If you’re a private person and you instinctively hit "Block," the call will fail instantly. You have to go into your Samsung’s settings, find the browser app (Chrome), and manually toggle those permissions back on.
Second, check your Wi-Fi. FaceTime via a web browser is a data hog. If you're on a weak 4G connection in the middle of a grocery store, it's going to be a pixelated mess.
Lastly, make sure the person who sent the link hasn't ended the call. FaceTime links stay active for a while, but if the "host" leaves, the link becomes a ghost town.
The Reality of the "Walled Garden"
Apple has very little incentive to make FaceTime a great experience on Samsung. They want you to get frustrated. They want you to feel like the "odd one out" in the group chat so that next time you're at the store, you'll look at the iPhone 17 or 18 and think, "Life would be easier if I just switched."
But Samsung's hardware—especially those displays—is often superior for video. Watching a FaceTime call on a Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen is objectively better than watching it on a standard Retina display. You get those deep blacks and vibrant colors that make your friends look... well, better than they do in real life.
So, can Samsung do FaceTime? Yes. You aren't locked out. You just have to play by Apple's rules and wait for an invite.
Next Steps for Samsung Users
If you want to use FaceTime right now, send a text to your friend with an iPhone. Tell them to open their FaceTime app and tap Create Link. Once they send that URL to you, open it in Google Chrome, enter your name, and hit Join. Make sure you grant the browser permission to use your camera and microphone when the pop-up appears. If you want a more permanent solution for regular chats, suggest moving the group to WhatsApp or Google Meet so you can start the calls yourself.