You can start a FaceTime call from any web browser in Mac OS X or iOS with a custom URL structure. Then, if a user or yourself clicks that defined URL, a new FaceTime chat will attempt to initiate automatically to the set Apple ID, email, or phone number. This is a fun little trick that can be useful for offices, intranets, and families in particular, though it obviously has valid use beyond that as well.
The trick to start a FaceTime call from a URL via any web browser is to use a customization of a standard anchor tag, prefixing it with ‘facetime://’ like the following:
- facetime://appleid
- facetime://email@address
- facetime://phonenumber
Place that in the URL, replacing the Apple ID, email address, or phone number as appropriate into the anchor tag, like href=”facetime://email@address”
Once a user clicks on the properly formed FaceTime URL, FaceTime.app will launch in Mac OS X or iOS and a video call will be initiated. In both cases, you’re required to have a FaceTime compatible camera and the FaceTime app installed, and for the call to complete you need a valid Apple ID as well.
A link will work like this: FaceTime: OSXDaily. FYI, this URL opens a FaceTime call to our group email, feel free to try it out although I can’t guarantee anyone will answer. Maybe you’ll see this stuffed animal though:
You could take this tip a step further and combine it with setting your Mac to automatically answer FaceTime calls from specified emails and numbers.
Pretty great trick, isn’t it? Have fun with this one!
* If you don’t have FaceTime on the Mac because the OS X version is older, you can buy FaceTime for Mac for $1 from the Mac App Store (App Store link), but all new versions of OS X include the feature for free in the bundled FaceTime app.
Thanks to David for telling us about this tip and sending it the submission! If you have any great tricks, let us know!
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