Android devices and conventional web browsers cannot connect to iMessage, but you could install an AirMessage Server on your Mac to bring this functionality to them. The software now makes a stronger case for itself with recently added support for native FaceTime calling on Android devices.

If you haven’t heard of AirMessage before, it is a free software utility born out of a community project. It runs off an AirMessage Server you can install on your Mac. Then, every message you send using AirMessage on Android goes through the server and is then sent to the intended recipient via iMessage. The service needs your Mac to be powered on and connected to the internet at all times, even if it is on a different network. Updating to AirMessage Server 4 on your Mac brings support for FaceTime calls on Android devices.

In a blog post explaining the changes made in AirMessage 4, the developers mention that it allows you to place and receive FaceTime calls on Android devices and the web. The feature is in the experimental stage for now. It works by making and receiving calls on your behalf and then forward the call to a FaceTime link that you can use on your Android device or the web.

The developers claim that AirMessage’s FaceTime implementation resembles a native FaceTime app on your Android phone where it rings when there’s an incoming call. To run FaceTime via AirMessage, you would need macOS 12 (Monterey) or newer, a camera, and the system language set to English, French, or Japanese on your Mac.

Besides this significant change, the update to AirMessage Server 4 makes AirMessage Server consume fewer resources and run faster. It also brings a refreshed user interface that uses native macOS UI components to look and feel like other native apps. Additionally, the setup process for AirMessage Server has been simplified.

Do you use AirMessage, or are you eager to get it now so you can use FaceTime on your Android tablet and smartphone? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.