Walkie-Talkie (Apple)
Developer(s) | Apple Inc. |
---|---|
Initial release | September 17, 2018 |
Operating system | watchOS |
Type | Voice over IP |
Website | Walkie-Talkie for Apple Watch |
Walkie-Talkie is a voice over IP (VoIP) communication feature available on Apple Watch devices running watchOS 5.0 or later. The application allows for users to have two-person FaceTime Audio calls in a similar fashion to using a real walkie-talkie, as conversations are push-to-talk and only one end of the conversation is able to speak at a time.[1] Walkie-Talkie is intended for short and quick messages between two people rather than long conversations which are better suited for traditional phone or video calls. Users can set their availability for walkie-talkie in the control panel or the app itself, which allows friends to start a call at any time.
As Walkie-Talkie is technically just a FaceTime Audio call with compulsory push-to-talk, replies sent between participants are instantaneous and the call will disconnect if both parties stop sending messages after a period of time.[2]
In July 2019, Apple temporarily disabled the Walkie-Talkie feature from all Apple Watches after a vulnerability was discovered which allowed a user to listen to another person's iPhone without consent.[3]
See also[]
- FaceTime
References[]
- ^ "How to use the Apple Watch's Walkie-Talkie function". AppleInsider. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
- ^ Bohn, Dieter (2018-06-04). "Walkie-Talkie on the Apple Watch is a clever riff on FaceTime Audio". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
- ^ "Apple disables Walkie Talkie app due to vulnerability that could allow iPhone eavesdropping". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
- WatchOS software
- IOS-based software made by Apple Inc.