Here's How To Fix FaceTime Not Working Quickly And Easily

Part I: Why Is FaceTime Not Working?

Some users complained: "My facetime is not working!" FaceTime not working on iPhone, Mac or iPad could be due to a few reasons, specific to those devices and then because of a couple of other things that have nothing to do with those devices. Here is why you might be facing FaceTime not working issue regardless of device:

I.I: Is FaceTime Down?

If FaceTime is down for some reason, then it won’t work on any device. So if you find FaceTime not working on iPhone but working on Mac, it means there might be something with FaceTime on the iPhone, since FaceTime is clearly working on Mac. So, first things first, here’s how to make sure FaceTime services are operational:

Step 1: Visit Apple’s System Status Page: https://www.apple.com/support/systemstatus/

This page tells you if Apple services are working as expected and if they are facing any issues or if an issue was recently resolved.

I.II: Is FaceTime Available In My Country?

Surprising as it might seem, but FaceTime might not be available in your country and hence you find FaceTime not working on your iPhone/ iPad/ Mac. You might wonder how is this possible? FaceTime was preinstalled on my device! Well, FaceTime is a service, and the pre-installed app only connects to it, online. So, if regulations in your country prevent Apple from offering FaceTime services, you will find FaceTime not working on iPhone/ on iPad/ on Mac.

Here is where FaceTime might not work properly:

-Pakistan

-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

-the United Arab Emirates.

Although Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have started supporting FaceTime for a while now, United Arab Emirates might have started doing so only recently as per an AP NEWS report in October 2021. No official announcement from either the government or Apple was available on the matter.

Part II: How To Fix FaceTime Not Working Issue Quickly

With that out of the way, let us now focus on how to fix FaceTime not working issue on our devices quickly. As noted in Part I, if FaceTime is operational and if your country is not part of the list above, then you should be able to use FaceTime without any issues.

So, if you find that you are unable to use FaceTime on any of your devices, it could be something to do with FaceTime itself. If you find FaceTime not working on one or more devices but not on all, this means that the issue lies with that device where you get the FaceTime not working problem.

Here are fixes that will help you resolve the FaceTime not working problem once and for all.

Fix 1: Check Signal Quality

The low signal will cause serious issues with any application that requires streaming data, such as FaceTime. This is because the lower the signal strength, the power the signal quality there is going to be, and with that the signal would not have enough bandwidth to carry data reliably and at the speed needed for video calls to work. This is why when your signal stands at 1 bar you may be able to send an SMS but not be able to call, because sending an SMS is just a short packet of data but a call requires more strength to sustain.

Fix 2: Check Apple ID Region

If you find FaceTime not working on one or more of your devices but working fine on others, you need to check:

-whether all devices are on the same Apple ID

-the region of Apple ID of the device where FaceTime is not working.

The premise is simple. If some devices are working, this means that something is wrong with the ones where FaceTime is not working. If even the non-working devices are on the same Apple ID as the working ones, then read the next part for individual device fixes.

However, if the devices on which FaceTime is not working have a different Apple ID, then that helps narrow down the issue and it could be that the Apple ID on those devices is set to a different region.

Here is how to check the Apple ID region for FaceTime and change it so that FaceTime is able to work properly:

On iPhone/iPad

Step 1: Go to Settings > FaceTime

Step 2: Tap your Apple ID

Step 3: Tap "Change Location" to change your FaceTime region.

On The Mac

To check the FaceTime region on the Mac, do the following:

Step 1: Launch FaceTime

Step 2: Click the FaceTime menu and select Preferences

Step 3: Change location from the dropdown list of countries.

Fix 3: Toggle FaceTime

Sometimes, one of the easiest solutions can work gloriously. How about we toggle FaceTime off and then on? Here’s how to do that:

On iPhone/iPad

Step 1: Go to Settings > FaceTime and toggle FaceTime Off.

Step 2: A few seconds later, toggle it back On.

On The Mac

Step 1: Launch FaceTime and click the FaceTime menu.

Step 2: Select "Turn FaceTime Off" and a few seconds later, turn it back On.

Fix 4: Set Date & Time To Automatic

Apple recommends setting the date and time on devices to automatic in case FaceTime is not working. Here is how to set date and time automatically on Apple devices.

On iPhone/iPad

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Date & Time

Step 2: Toggle "Set Automatically" On.

On The Mac

Step 1: Go to System Preferences > Date & Time

Step 2: Click the lock to make changes to the checkbox and set the date and time to update automatically as follows:

Fix 5: Sign Out And Back In FaceTime

You might want to try signing out of FaceTime and signing back in. Here’s how to do that:

On iPhone/ iPad

Step 1: Go to Settings > FaceTime and tap your Apple ID

Step 2: Tap Sign Out.

On The Mac

Step 1: Launch FaceTime and go to FaceTime > Preferences

Step 2: Click Sign Out.

Fix 6: Start Using Wi-Fi For FaceTime

Hard as it might seem to comprehend, FaceTime consists of FaceTime and FaceTime over Cellular. Good old FaceTime is what requires Wi-Fi to work, and FaceTime over Cellular is, as you guessed, over your data connection. What does this mean?

Some network providers, such as Bravado Wireless in the US and Digicel do not completely support FaceTime, in the sense that they do not support FaceTime over Cellular as per Apple. Digicel, for example, offers FaceTime over Cellular support in the Cayman Islands but not in Bonaire and the British Virgin Islands.

So, the best thing to do is try and use Wi-Fi with FaceTime to eliminate network provider problems.

Here’s how to toggle Wi-Fi On on the iPhone:

Step 1: Go to Settings > Wi-Fi and toggle it On.

Fix 7: Restart The Device

Sometimes, a restart fixes the oddball issues.

Restarting The iPhone/iPad

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Shut Down

Step 2: Drag the slider to shut down the iPhone

Step 3: Wait a few seconds and press and hold the Side Button to restart the iPhone.

Restarting The Mac

Step 1: Click the Apple logo and select Restart

Fix 8: Close and Relaunch FaceTime

Closing and relaunching apps can often work, and here is how to close and relaunch FaceTime.

On iPhone/iPad

Step 1: Swipe from the bottom of the screen and hold to launch the App Switcher

Step 2: Scroll horizontally to find the FaceTime app and flick the app card upwards to close the app.

Step 3: Launch the FaceTime app again.

On The Mac

Step 1: Right-click (or, Option key + click on trackpad or mouse) on the FaceTime app icon in the Dock to get the contextual menu

Step 2: Click Quit.

Step 3: Relaunch the app.

Fix 9: Reset Network Settings

Sometimes there might be an issue with network settings, especially after an update, so here’s how to reset network settings on the iPhone:

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone

Step 2: Tap Reset

Step 3: Tap "Reset Network Settings".

Fix 10: Reset All Settings

Resetting all settings is another option you can use before going ahead with repairing/ reinstalling iOS again. Here’s how to reset all settings on the iPhone:

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone

Step 2: Tap Reset

Step 3: Tap "Reset All Settings".

Fix 11: Use Dr.Fone - System Repair (iOS) to Repair iOS Without Data Loss

If the above fixes are not working, you can try repairing iOS on iPhone or iPad. Repairing iOS does not have to cause data loss because we have a way! You can use Dr.Fone - System Repair (iOS) to quickly repair and reinstall iOS without causing any data loss. It is reliable and easy, with all steps featuring comprehensive documentation so you are at ease during the whole process, which takes a few clicks only anyway!

Step 1: Click the following button to download the Dr.Fone and install it on your computer(Win or Mac).

Step 2: Connect your iPhone to the computer and launch Dr.Fone.

Step 3: Click the "System Repair" module and select "Standard Mode" to reinstall/repair iOS without deleting user data.

Pro Tip: Want to create backups easily? Backups are one click away with Dr.Fone - Phone Backup (iOS) module. Try it today!

Step 4: The system version screen shows you your iPhone model and firmware version:

Step 5: Select the firmware to download and click "Start".

Step 6: Firmware will be verified with Apple after the download is complete, and Dr.Fone will prompt the following:

Step 7: Click "Fix Now" and keep the device connecting with your computer. Wait for a few minutes to complete the repair process.

The iPhone will restart after the repair and FaceTime should work after a fresh setup.

Conclusion

To conclude, FaceTime not working can only cause momentary panic because we have the solutions to fix FaceTime not working on iPhone/ on iPad/ on Mac problem! In the odd case that the above solutions did not help, you need to contact Apple Support or visit Apple Store so they can guide you further.