Apple on Monday showed updates to its FaceTime video chat app, adding the ability to schedule calls with multiple attendees and making the software compatible with Android and Windows devices via the Web.
The move, which puts Apple in more direct competition with companies like Zoom Video Communications that gained prominence during the pandemic, was the first major announcement from Apple’s annual meeting for software developers.
Apple also added features such as background blurring and audio improvements that Craig Federighi, Apple’s software chief, said were aimed at making video calls capture the nuances of in-person conversation. “When talking on a video call, many of those signals can get lost, leaving us feeling drained,” Federighi said.
The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, being held online for the second year because of the pandemic, typically attracts thousands of app developers, many of whom hope the company will be listening to their concerns. — Reported by Stephen Nellis, (c) 2021 Reuters