FaceTime Not Working on iPhone & Mac? 12 Ways To Fix It
FaceTime not connecting on your iPhone or Mac? Let us look at 12 things you can do to fix connection problems on Apple’s video call app.
This guide contains fix instructions for Mac OSX, iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone (running iOS 6 or iOS 7). Connection failures on FaceTime can happen in one of two ways. It’s either the app does not connect in the first place (FaceTime: Connection Failed) or the connection broke mid-call (FaceTime: Connection Lost). Either way, you’ll find a fix on this list that matches your situation.
1. Check To Make Sure That FaceTime is Turned On
When troubleshooting an app, one of the first things to check are its primary settings to see if you or someone has directly, indirectly, intentionally or accidentally changed something since touch screens are touch sensitive. It is possible that a battery saver app may automatically turn off some app services to make your iPhone battery charge last longer.
To check FaceTime settings on an iPhone, navigate to Settings > FaceTime, then make sure the switch is toggled on. To check on a Mac OSX, open up the FaceTime app then navigate to FaceTime > Turn FaceTime On.
2. Check That The Date and Time are Correct On Both Devices
Yes, something as small as wrong date and time on your device can cause the FaceTime app not to connect or work properly.
To change the date and time on your iPhone or iOS device, go to Settings > General > Date and Time, then make sure the Set Automatically option is turned on and thge time zone setting matches your current location.
To change this on a Mac OSX, navigate to System Preferences > Date and Time, tick Set Date and Time Automatically, then select a server that matches your current location.
3. FaceTime Not Connecting? Check Your Blocked List
If you have added someone to a blocked list on your iPhone or Mac, it is possible that FaceTime wont connect to that person and they wont be able to call you. Check every block or exclusion list you may have created; if you have any third party blocking apps, check there too to be sure you haven’t accidentally added them there.
To check the FaceTime blocked contacts on an iPhone, go to Settings > FaceTime > Blocked. To remove a contact from the FaceTime blocked list, click Edit then press the remove icon beside the contact, then choose Unblock.
4. FaceTime Not Working At All? Check Your Internet Connection (Or That Of Your Caller)
This could also trigger a FaceTime Connection Lost message if you or your caller’s internet breaks. If you are connecting over WiFi, go to Settings > WiFi on the iPhone to check for connection problems. On a Mac device, the internet settings can be found in System Preferences > Network.
Also, the primary connection medium for FaceTime is WiFi, only few carriers allow FaceTime connection over the cellular network. If you’re trying to connect over cellular, perhaps you should try connecting over WiFi first to be sure that the problem isn’t from your connection. You should also try calling someone else to make sure that it isn’t the other person’s connection.
If your caller is having trouble connecting to FaceTime, you can send this guide to them to help troubleshoot the problem.
5. Use The Same Apple ID You Use On Your Other Devices
If you have two Apple devices, there’s no need to create a new Apple ID for the other one. Sign in to FaceTime using the same ID you have used before on your other device. To check the FaceTime ID on an iPhone, go to Settings > FaceTime and you will find the Apple ID there just under the text “You can be reached by FaceTime at”. If it is not there, you can add it by clicking “Add another email”.
6. Your Push Mail Setting may Be Turned Off
Incoming calls on FaceTime are sent through the Push Mail service, so if that is turned off, you wont be able to see incoming calls and your friends wont be able to reach you via the video call app unless you call them.
To turn the Push Mail setting on, navigate to Settings > Mail Contacts, Calendars, Fetch New Data, then toggle the push setting to On.
7. Update the FaceTime App On Your Device (And On That Of Your Caller)
Sometime in April this year (2014), many FaceTime apps developed connection problems because some certificates which the app uses expired that month. Apple swiftly released an update to fix this. So if you haven’t updated your FaceTime app recently, do so immediately to fix any connection problems you may have, especially if you use iOS 6 or iOS 7.
8. FaceTime Is Stuck on “Waiting For Activation”
If your FaceTime app hangs or gets stuck on the “Waiting For Activation” screen. It could be fixed by simply resetting the app. Try turning the app off and then back on.
To do this on an iPad or iPhone or basically the iOS, go to Settings > FaceTime and then turn the switch to Off. Go back into the Settings area then come back into FaceTime, turn it back on this time. Try making a video call again, hopefully it will work this time. If it still doesn’t, check your internet connection (see No.4 of this article).
To do this on a Mac OSX computer, launch FaceTime, then navigate to FaceTime > Preferences. Change the FaceTime setting to Off, make sure the setting is saved, then turn it back on.
9. Use Your Correct Phone Number
From your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > FaceTime. Around the part where it displays your Apple ID, it should display your phone number as well. That should be your correct phone number (the one you have used to make calls before and the one you’ll like to have people call you on). Also check that your Apple ID is correct (see No.5 of this article).
10. The FaceTime App Is Missing
Some iOS devices do not come with FaceTime installed in them. Actually, it depends on the region of the world your iPhone came from. It is possible that the phone would have FaceTime services but not the actual app. Reinstalling a new iOS from iTunes should fix the problem and install the FaceTime app automatically on your phone or Mac.
11. Restart Your iPhone / iPad / Mac Computer
The last resort would be to restart your iPhone, iPad or Mac. There is a possibility that your CPU resources are in the red and your software RAM may be taking a lot of load at the moment which is known to cause performance lags in many apps and the system itself. A simple reboot would fix the problem.
To turn off an iPhone or iPad, press and hold the Sleep button then perform the Slide to power off action. To turn it back on, tap the Sleep button.
To turn off a Mac PC, choose Apply, then Restart.
12. Check To Make Sure That Your Device Is On (Or That of the Other Person)
You wont be able to receive or make video calls if your iPhone or Mac is turned off, so turn it on first. If you’re trying to call someone, FaceTime will not be able to connect if your friend’s phone is turned off.
So there you have it, 12 amazing ways to troubleshoot FaceTime connection problems on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 6 or 7 and on a Mac OSX computer.
If you knoiw someone having connection problems with FaceTime, send this article to them and they will send you a gift.
You may also check out How To Install FaceTime On Android if you own an Android phone.
