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How You Can FaceTime Internationally With Wi-Fi (and Without)

Smartphones have made it easy for us to stay in touch with friends and family, even internationally. FaceTime is a free and straightforward way to make international Wi-Fi calls. Keep in mind if you are using a cellular network, you may be using up data from your data plan. 

FaceTimeing internationally works the same way as it does with domestic calls. You must be connected to either a Wi-Fi or cellular network the same way you would if you were trying to access the PS5 network. However, if you have limited data, the FaceTime call will be using it.

Put simply, it should be easy and straightforward for you to make FaceTime calls, even if the recipient is on the other side of the world. With that said, it’s good practice to ensure that you’re connected to Wi-Fi because you don’t want your phone bill to be expensive, which could be the case if you’ve made the call via your cellular network. Read more down below if you need more information.

Using FaceTime for International Calls

Woman using a smartphone for a video call

It shouldn’t take much effort to make international FaceTime calls on an iOS device. However, there are a few things you need. For instance, you need to have an internet connection, but that could mean either Wi-Fi or a cellular network.

The internet connection could even be a personal hotspot for your smart TV (our guide). In case you don’t know, Wi-Fi hotspots are basically internet access points, and many times they can be mobile, even though they look like Wi-Fi networks.

Many smartphones have the option of acting as a hotspot, and a lot of new vehicles can be equipped as Wi-Fi hotspots as well. This technology is getting more and more common, so it’s very easy to have a WiFi connection anywhere you go.

One of the great things about FaceTime is that you can use any internet connection, even a hotspot, to make international calls for free.

How FaceTime Works

Guy video chatting with his mother in law

The FaceTime app is built-in on Apple devices. If you have an iPhone, iPad, or even a Mac computer (on Amazon), you can use it. It’s a part of the Apple ecosystem by default, so it’s not a separate service that you have to pay for. This is one of the great perks of owning an Apple device, and many users love their Apple products for this reason precisely.

To be able to use FaceTime, you need an Apple device that has iOS 7 or macOS 10.9.2 or later – an iPhone 12 (on Amazon) will work great as well. If you have an older Apple device, you won’t be able to upgrade to the iOS software version that you need to use for FaceTime, so keep that in mind.

The earliest Apple devices you can upgrade are the iPad 2 and iPhone 4. In other words, it’s always best to have the latest software and hardware.

Unlike other video calling and video game options (like the PS5 – our guide), FaceTime does not need to be installed on your Apple device since it’s already included. This means that it won’t take up any extra space on your phone, like installing additional video calling apps or other software that take up memory.

To set FaceTime up, if you’ve just purchased a new device, you can go to your Settings and select FaceTime and turn the app on by selecting the on and off switch.

Then you choose “Use Your Apple ID” for FaceTime. All you have to do from here is enter your Apple ID and password, and your phone number will already be detected. To make a call, you simply open the FaceTime app and enter the phone number or email address of the person you want to call. If they’re already in your contacts, all you have to do is type their name.

Be aware that you can only FaceTime individuals who also own an Apple device. This is important because FaceTime does not work with Android or other devices. You have options to use just audio for FaceTime calls or both audio and video. During a call, you can switch to and from video calling to a call with only audio.

While using video in combination with audio is preferable for most people, it may be easier to turn that feature off if you have a slow internet connection. In fact, this is a great way to quickly troubleshoot a poor connection in the case that you run into any problems. Just turn off the video in the settings and then the quality of the call should improve.

Video uses a lot more data, too, so if you call over your cellular network instead of WiFi and have a limited data plan, it may be wise to turn the video feature off during your FaceTime calls. Voice calling doesn’t require as much bandwidth, so it won’t eat into your data plan quite as much as video calling. 

The Data May Have a Cost

When you use your smartphone, it’s important to be aware of how you’re connecting to the internet, especially for video calls because it uses so much data.

If you are connected through your cellular network, this can get quite expensive, and using FaceTime will count against any data cap if you have one. In that case, you’ll want to make FaceTime calls using audio only to avoid an expensive phone bill for going over your data limit. 

If you are connected through Wi-Fi at home or on a public network, you don’t need to worry about data costs. Most coffee shops and restaurants now have free Wi-Fi for their guests, so even if you don’t have Wi-Fi at home, you could visit one of these locations to avoid using your phone’s data. 

Conclusion

If you’re looking to stay in touch with friends and family, locally or even internationally, FaceTime makes this easier than it has ever been before.

Unlike the days of expensive international phone calls, if you have an Apple device, FaceTime is an entirely free option to connect with loved ones if you are calling over a Wi-Fi connection.