My tech-savvy friends wish Android had this hidden FaceTime feature

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a technology enthusiast — and with that comes great responsibility. Growing up, my like-minded friends and I naturally became the go-to tech support for our families and connections because of our expertise in keeping their gadgets’ gears turning. Once you move abroad, however, the task becomes significantly more challenging as you lose physical access to their devices, and over-the-phone instructions can get tiresome. My colleague Rita long praised Google Meet for helping her fix her parents’ Android phones from abroad — until she discovered a lesser-known FaceTime feature I’ve been using to control my friends’ iPhones remotely.

Remote device control is in no way a new invention, and apps like TeamViewer have been around for years. The main problem with these tools, though, is that they require you to set them up on both devices, and the process can confuse tech newbies. That’s not to mention that certain operating systems restrict the actions one could execute remotely, limiting these apps’ functionality. iOS 18 addresses this bundle of issues in the most Applesque way possible: baking the remote control feature right into FaceTime.

How the remote control feature on FaceTime works

Apple’s native remote control tool expectedly puts some guardrails in place to minimize potential abuse. For starters, the iPhone I wish to control must have my number saved as a contact, and the feature solely works during screen-sharing sessions in one-to-one FaceTime calls. This eliminates most bad actors from the equation, as users generally only save the contact information of and share their screens with people they trust. If I meet these criteria, I can send a request to control a friend or family member’s device by tapping the finger/hand icon on the bottom right of the display during a screen-sharing session.

Once they approve my request, I can perform most smartphone actions with minimal latency. This includes checking the notifications, launching and using apps, sending messages, deleting files, toggling settings, accessing their personal data, etc. The FaceTime feature essentially shows their entire iPhone on my iPhone. To further limit malicious activities, though, Apple restricts sensitive tasks, such as making payments, signing out of the Apple Account, factory resetting the iPhone, and so on. During the session, it also kills Face ID and Touch ID to avoid unintentional authentication in protected apps.

Other safeguards include quick termination and touch priority. So, if the iPhone owner changes their mind, they can end the remote control session immediately. Similarly, if we both interact with the system at the same time, their input will be prioritized and mine negated.

There’s also a vanilla edition of the feature that simplifies remote tech support without granting me full access to someone else’s iPhone. While they’re sharing their screen, I can directly annotate their interface without requesting control. So, I can doodle on their screen as they navigate in real time but not actually impact the content or execute actions on their end. This helps me point them in the right direction without jeopardizing their privacy.

Why Apple’s implementation makes all the difference

Like most iPhone features, remote control via FaceTime “just works.” I know it sounds like an Apple marketing spiel, but it doesn’t require users to install or set up complex apps and is objectively as straightforward as remote control can ever get. Only people you trust can request access, and even if you grant it, iOS still prevents the controller from performing some potentially harmful actions. And, if you’re paranoid, you could settle for the annotation alternative, which makes guiding your clicks a breeze.

FaceTime is potentially the most popular VoIP service in the US. Apple took advantage of its position to roll out this convenient tool widely, making everyone’s lives easier. For Google to successfully implement a similar solution on Android, it has to take the same route. First and foremost, it would have to adopt the same strict Apple approach to prevent misuse. Otherwise, the entire concept would backfire, helping scammers exploit tech newbies.

Google would also need to integrate it into its most commonly used video calling app, Meet — assuming its name doesn’t change in the next couple of days. To maximize its potential, Google could also provide a special API to established and trusted communication apps, such as WhatsApp or Telegram. This would further reduce the onboarding friction, as billions of users actively rely on these services to video chat with each other.

I’d argue that Android needs this even more than iOS because of the sheer variety of OEM skins and the multitude of options and settings it has. When I lived with my family, I could always explore their Android smartphones in person to find out what was wrong, even if I was unfamiliar with the particular skin or feature I was helping them troubleshoot. Performing this same task remotely has become impossible as I can’t quickly stumble through the menus and check for relevant options on my own; I have to guide them menu-by-menu instead. Conversely, the remote control feature on FaceTime lets me, in a way, hold the other person’s phone in my hands without being physically present. By introducing a similar offering, Google would do everyone a favor and minimize remote troubleshooting time for geeks everywhere.