Facetime
| FaceTime
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|---|---|
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| Basic data
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| developer | Apple |
| Current version |
iOS 13.6.1 (August 12, 2020) |
| operating system | iOS 4 or newer (at least iPhone 4 , iPod touch 4G or iPad 2 ) |
| category | VoIP |
| License | Freeware |
| German speaking | Yes |
| www.apple.com | |
| FaceTime for Mac
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|---|---|
.svg)
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| Basic data
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| developer | Apple |
| Current version | 4.0 (3080) (September 25, 2017) |
| operating system | macOS from 10.6.6 |
| category | VoIP |
| License | Proprietary software |
| German speaking | Yes |
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FaceTime for Mac FaceTime Mac App Store |
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FaceTime (proper spelling: FaceTime , German mutatis mutandis time for a personal interview / meeting ) is a free chat - Service of the US company Apple . The service offers IP telephony and video conferencing via its own application software . It can run on devices that work with the in-house operating system iOS 4 and subsequent versions and have a camera on the front. This supports the in-house devices iPhone 4 , iPad 2 and iPod touch of the fourth generation as well as further developed device variants. In-house Macintosh computers with a Facetime camera and the Mac OS X Snow Leopard operating system and subsequent versions are also supported.
history
Facetime was announced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the launch of the iPhone 4 on June 7, 2010 at the Worldwide Developers Conference . Since September 8, 2010 the iPod touch (4th generation) and thus the first iPod touch with cameras has been supported.
The brand name "FaceTime" Apple had the US company FaceTime Communications bought these changed its name to Actiance, Inc .
Facetime for Mac OS X was announced on October 20, 2010 as a beta version at the "Back to the Mac" event. Facetime left beta on February 24, 2011 and has since been listed in the Mac App Store at $ 0.99 or EUR 0.89 for users of Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.6 (or later). Facetime has been preinstalled since Mac OS X Lion .
On March 2nd, 2011 it was announced that the iPad 2, which is equipped with a front and rear camera, will be supported by Facetime.
With iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks was FaceTime Audio introduced. This makes it possible to make phone calls without video transmission over the Internet.
During the coup attempt in Turkey in 2016 , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan initially announced that he would make a statement on Turkish state television. However, after the station's building was occupied by the coup plotters, he posted it live on CNN Türk via FaceTime.
A software bug became known at the end of January 2019 . During a group call, a special action enabled the microphone of another call partner to be activated. This did not have to take the call. After the bug became known, Apple deactivated the group call function on the server side. Shortly afterwards, the iOS update 12.1.4 was released, which closed the security gap.
software
On macOS
An Apple ID is required for identification to run Facetime on a Mac. You can enter an existing one or request a new one. It is not necessary for this Apple ID to be linked to credit card information, only a valid email address is required. This e-mail address represents the phone number in Facetime . In the settings, it is possible to specify several e-mail addresses as a phone number.
It is possible to run Facetime with the same Apple ID on several devices, these then all ring in parallel. Each of the devices only reacts to the e-mail addresses that are entered in the respective settings. It is therefore possible to make the devices distinguishable from one another using additional e-mail addresses.
Just like a telephone needs a unique phone number, every Facetime participant also receives a unique identification. With the iPhone, this is always the cell phone number, which is why the registration is different here than with the Mac and iPod Touch. With iOS 6 in combination with OS X 10.8, it is now also possible to enter a cell phone number for Facetime on the Mac, iPod touch and iPad if this is registered with Facetime on your own iPhone. There is no call diversion.
The software works automatically in the background. After setting up, you can always be reached via Facetime as soon as there is an internet connection. The program starts automatically when a call comes in. A video transmission also starts after the call is accepted. The graphical user interface then offers buttons for full-screen display, muting the microphone and ending the call.
To make a Facetime call, the program must be opened and a contact selected from the contact list. Facetime then establishes a connection using the known e-mail address or mobile phone number.
On iOS
Since Facetime has been an independent app on the iPhone since iOS 7 , it has already been integrated into the phone, messages and contacts app, so there are various ways to start a call:
- By clicking on the Facetime icon during an ongoing phone call. This action sends an invitation to the other person called to also engage on a video call using the same application.
- By clicking the Facetime icon next to the person's name in the contact list. When the button is clicked, the other party is requested to use this application.
- By starting the Facetime app and then selecting the conversation partner.
- By clicking on the text "Contact" in a conversation in the message app ( iMessage or SMS) and then selecting the Facetime icon.
- By clicking on the Facetime icon in the Contacts app (corresponds to the telephone contact list).
The behavior in the Facetime, Messages and Contacts app is the same on iPad and iPod touch, except that classic phone calls cannot be made.
Interlocutors with an iPhone up to the iOS 5.x operating system cannot make calls via a 3G connection ( UMTS / HSDPA ), but there are third-party applications that enable a jailbroken iPhone to do this . The amount of data of 50 KB per call second (3 MB per minute) that is transferred via the mobile network is large and, depending on the mobile phone tariff , can quickly use up the free space or cause high usage costs. Since iOS 6 it has been possible to handle Facetime calls over the cellular network.
Technical characteristics
The Facetime communication protocol is mainly based on open standards . It is based on the following technologies:
- H.264 and AAC - audio and video codec ,
- SIP - network protocol for establishing, controlling and terminating a communication session ,
- STUN , TURN and ICE - network protocols to detect the presence and type of firewalls and NAT routers and to penetrate the latter,
- RTP and SRTP - protocol for the continuous (encrypted) transmission of audiovisual data ( streams ) over IP -based networks .
After the iPhone 4 went on sale, Steve Jobs promised that Apple would make the Facetime protocol an " open standard ". At this point in time this has not yet happened; Apple hasn't released any technical specifications for the service either. Facetime can currently only be operated exclusively on Apple's own devices.
Limited availability
As of October 2010, Facetime has not been available on devices purchased in the United Arab Emirates , Jordan , Saudi Arabia , Qatar and Kuwait . This may be due to regulations in these countries that restrict the use of IP-based communication technologies. Devices purchased outside of the home will continue to support Facetime.
Although the iPhone 4 was initially sold in Egypt with Facetime deactivated, Vodafone Egypt decided to enable VoIP telephony by updating the network operator settings.
criticism
When the Facetime function is activated on an iPhone, the device sends an SMS in the background to 0044 7786205094 in the United Kingdom . According to Apple, this SMS should only be sent once and the user should be advised of possible charges in advance. However, there are numerous reports on the Internet from users that they have not received the relevant information and that this SMS has even occurred several times. This was not only the case after every (re-) activation of the iPhone, as indicated by Apple, but also without any changes to the iPhone - some users were not even familiar with the Facetime function. Some mobile phone providers who offer the iPhone together with a mobile phone contract reimburse the costs for this SMS - with others, however, there are costs for international SMS that are not absorbed by so-called "cost airbags".
Individual evidence
- ↑ Apple releases iOS 13.6.1 and iPadOS 13.6.1 for all users . August 12, 2020 (accessed August 13, 2020).
- ↑ face time: English >> German. In: The language portal. PONS.eu, accessed on December 29, 2011 .
- ^ Steve Jobs live from WWDC 2010. Engadget, accessed November 27, 2011 .
- ↑ Our name - FaceTime. (No longer available online.) Actiance, Inc., archived from the original on June 10, 2010 ; Retrieved June 7, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Apple Launches $ 0.99 Mac FaceTime App on Mac App Store. MacRumors, accessed November 27, 2011 .
- ↑ FaceTime. In: Mac App Store. Apple, accessed November 27, 2011 .
- ↑ iPad 2 brings release of iOS 4.3, with FaceTime and Photo Booth. (No longer available online.) In: Switched. The Huffington Post, archived from the original on January 5, 2012 ; Retrieved November 27, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Erdogan's Facetime counter-revolution. Der Tagesspiegel, accessed on July 17, 2016 .
- ↑ Apple triggers an emergency shutdown of Facetime. In: Süddeutsche.de . January 29, 2019, accessed February 8, 2019 .
- ↑ Leo Becker: Import updates: Apple plugs critical gaps on iPhone, iPad and Mac. In: Heise.de . February 7, 2019, accessed February 8, 2019 .
- ↑ My3G. In: Cydia. Intelliborn, accessed June 29, 2012 .
- ↑ iPhone 4 Jailbreak Unlocks 3G FaceTime Calls. InformationWeek, accessed November 25, 2011 .
- ↑ iOS 6 preview. Apple, accessed June 29, 2012 .
- ↑ FaceTime app. iFacetimeapp, accessed March 9, 2017 .
- ↑ Inside iPhone 4: FaceTime video calling. AppleInsider, accessed June 9, 2011 .
- ↑ iPhone 4 hits UAE and Qatar, but without FaceTime installed. Engadget, accessed November 26, 2011 .
- ↑ FaceTime is not available on Middle Eastern carriers. saudimac.com, accessed November 26, 2011 (Arabic).
- ↑ Vodafone Egypt Restores FaceTime on iPhone 4. saudimac.com, accessed on November 26, 2011 (Arabic).
- ↑ Activation SMS abroad. In: 20 minutes. Retrieved January 22, 2012 .
- ↑ facetime sms charge. In: Apple Support Communities. Retrieved January 22, 2012 (English).
- ↑ Facetime & o2 Germany. In: O 2 Forum & Knowledge. Retrieved January 22, 2012 .
