Lesson 7
Video Call Your Family and FriendsFor today’s phones
A video call lets you see and hear your family while you talk, like a visit through your screen. It's one of the most joyful things your phone can do.
First, tell us which phone you have
Not sure which you have?
If your phone has an apple on the back, it’s an iPhone. If it has anything else, it’s almost certainly an Android.
Step 1 of 7
Pick the right app for the person you're calling
The app you use depends on the phone the other person has. You both need the same app, or apps that work together.
On your iPhone: On iPhone, FaceTime is built in and is easiest when the other person also has an iPhone or iPad.
On your Android: On Android, Google Meet works well and can call both Android phones and iPhones.
Not sure what they have? Just ask them which app they use for video calls, and use that one.
Step 2 of 7
Make sure the app is installed
If you don't have the app yet, you can get it for free from your phone's app store.
On your iPhone: On iPhone, FaceTime is already there. For Google Meet, open the App Store, search for it, and tap Get.
On your Android: On Android, open the Play Store, search for Google Meet, and tap Install.
Getting an app from the official store is free and safe. You only do this once.
Step 3 of 7
Allow the camera and microphone
The first time you open a video app, it asks permission to use your camera and microphone. Tap Allow so the other person can see and hear you.
This is normal and needed for video calls. You're only allowing it for this one app.
Step 4 of 7
Start a FaceTime call
On your iPhone: On iPhone, open FaceTime, tap New FaceTime in the top right, type the person's name from your contacts, then tap the green FaceTime button to call.
You can add more than one person to see several family members on the call at once.
Step 5 of 7
Start a Google Meet call
On your iPhone: On iPhone, you can use Google Meet the same way if that's the app your family uses.
On your Android: On Android, open Google Meet, tap New, choose the person from your contacts, then tap the call button to ring them.
Google Meet works between Android phones and iPhones, so it's a good choice for a mixed family.
Step 6 of 7
Join an iPhone user's call from an Android
On your Android: On Android, you can still join a FaceTime call. Ask the iPhone person to tap 'Create Link' in FaceTime and send it to you. Tap the link, type your name, and tap Join.
This is a handy trick when the rest of the family has iPhones and you don't.
Step 7 of 7
End the call
When you're done, tap the red button to hang up, just like a regular phone call.
You can't accidentally stay connected. Tapping the red button always ends it.