16 Effective Fixes for the ‘FaceTime not Working’ Issue on Various Apple Devices

| Updated on January 4, 2024

It is needless to say that FaceTime is one of the most popular apps developed by Apple. It allows you to connect with your distant peers within no time. Its video calling features are absolutely flawless that provide you the feel of talking to your loved ones as if they are sitting next to you.

However, it’s a technology, after all, and therefore, some imperfections and glitches will be there. Despite cutting-edge features, many users have reported that they occasionally face ‘FaceTime not working’ issues.

Digging deep into it, I found numerous forums and community discussion pages where people have mentioned similar issues with their FaceTime app:

“Why is FaceTime not working?”

“Why does my FaceTime not work?”

“My FaceTime keeps hanging up”

Therefore, I set down to write about the solutions that you can use to resolve your FaceTime issues without scavenging through forums for hours.

So, jump right into the write-up below to have your ‘FaceTime not working’ problem resolved.

Table of Content

Ensure Stable Internet Connection
Restart your Device
Ensure that FaceTime is Enabled for the Use
Turn on FaceTime to Use Cellular Data
Sign Out of FaceTime & Sign Back In
Fix FaceTime Waiting for Activation Error
Check your Device Compatibility with Group FaceTime
Limit the Number of People in the Group FaceTime Call
Check for FaceTime Availability in your Country
Set your Device’s Date & Time to Automatic
Turn off Screen Time Restriction for FaceTime
Enable Microphone and Camera in FaceTime
Test Camera & Microphone on your Device
Check if FaceTime is Down
Enable Certain Ports in the Firewall
Update your Device

Ensure Stable Internet Connection

If your FaceTime is not working, and the calls just keep hanging up, then the first thing you can do is check whether you have a stable internet connection or not. And, as a matter of fact, ensure that you are connected to the internet firsthand.

In case you think that the internet connectivity is poor, then disconnect your device from the internet and connect it again. You can also try rebooting your Wi-Fi router to make sure it is working fine like you do when an application like Roku is not connecting to Wi-Fi.

On your iPhone, you can turn on and off the Cellular Data and Wi-Fi data from the Control Center, which you can access by swiping down from the top of the screen. Also, ensure that Airplane mode is not turned on, as it will disconnect your device from the network.

Restart your Device

If your FaceTime keeps hanging up and you are not able to attend a call, then you should go for the next very basic troubleshooting tip, which is restarting your device.

Whatever device you are using, iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc., just shut it down for a few seconds and restart it. This helps resolve any background program glitches that the app and OS itself might be having, because of which you may have to ask, “Why my FaceTime not working?”

Ensure that FaceTime is Enabled for the Use

Still, stuck on the ‘FaceTime not warning’ issue? Then it may be because it is turned off in your iPhone’s settings. FaceTime won’t work if you have disabled it, and also when it is set to use incorrect contact details. In order to know if this is the case, you will have to check its settings. To do so, go through the process given below:

First, go to your iPhone/iPad Settings app.

Scroll down in the Settings page, and tap on the FaceTime section.

On the next page, ensure that the FaceTime toggle button is turned on.

Also, at the bottom part of the page, you will see your Apple ID and phone number. Ensure that they are also correct.

If your FaceTime settings are correct, and you haven’t yet got the answer to your question, “Why isn’t my FaceTime working?”, don’t worry; keep hopping onto the next method.

Turn on FaceTime to Use Cellular Data

If you are using your cellular data for FaceTime, then you need to ensure that FaceTime is allowed to use cellular data. Otherwise, you will be asking yourself again and again, Why is FaceTime not working?

Here’s how you can check for the same in your iPhone/iPad settings:

First off, open the Settings app on your device.

Inside Settings, tap on the Cellular section.

Now, on the following page, you will see the apps that are allowed to use cellular data. Scroll through the list and find the FaceTime app.

Finally, ensure that the FaceTime toggle is turned on. If not, turn it on right away, to allow the app to use cellular data to receive and make calls, so that it can work properly.

Sign Out of FaceTime & Sign Back In

Why is my FaceTime not working? If you are still facing the ‘FaceTime not working’ issue, it may be because of some internal app issue.

Many users have reported that they were able to resolve this problem by singing out and signing back into their FaceTime app. Listed below are the steps for how can you do this:

iPhone/iPad:

Begin by opening the Settings app on your iPhone.

Scroll down on the Settings screen, and tap on the FaceTime section.

At the bottom of the following page, tap on your Apple ID.

After that, a pop-up will appear on your screen. There, tap on the Sign Out option. This will log you out of the FaceTime app.

On the same page, a new option, ‘Use your Apple ID for FaceTime’, will appear. Tap on it.

Again the pop-up will appear. Tap the Sign In option on it.

On Mac:

Open the FaceTime app on your Mac.

Click on the FaceTime option from the top menu bar.

Select the Preferences option from the menu that appears.

Next, click on the Sing Out option present at the top of the Preferences window. Tap again on the same option to confirm the action.

After you are signed out, fill in your Apple ID details in the FaceTime window and log in again.

Fix FaceTime Waiting for Activation Error

FaceTime occasionally fails due to known faults or problems, and this is one of them. When you log into FaceTime, you may see the ‘FaceTime Waiting for Activation’ error message.

If FaceTime freezes during the Waiting for Activation stage, restarting FaceTime should resolve the issue.

If you’re using an iPhone, here are the steps that you need to follow:

Once again, go to the Settings app on your phone.

Scroll down on the Settings page and tap on FaceTime.

Now, turn off the FaceTime toggle button, and turn it on again by once again tapping it.

Check your Device Compatibility with Group FaceTime

Why can’t I FaceTime in group chats? Well, you can use FaceTime anyhow on a device, as long as it is a Mac. Of course, you can use it on other Apple devices flawlessly, but there are some Apple OS that is not compatible with the FaceTime app group calling feature.

Listed below are the devices that are compatible with Group FaceTime:

iPhone 6S or later models

Older iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices that support iOS 12.1.4 can participate in Group FaceTime conversations as audio participants only.

An iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, iPad (5th Generation), or a subsequent model.

A seventh-generation iPod touch

Any Mac that is running macOS Mojave 10.14.3 or later

Some non-listed gadgets, like Apple Watches, may still operate with one-on-one FaceTime.

Now that you know why FaceTime is not working on iPad or iPhone, you can think about switching to another app that allows you to have video chats with your peers. Anyway, if this doesn’t address your problem, “Why won’t FaceTime work?” move on to the next solution.

Limit the Number of People in the Group FaceTime Call

FaceTime allows you to initiate a group conversation with up to 32 participants at once if you have a compatible device, as seen in the above section.

However, having so many individuals makes it difficult to determine who is generating FaceTime issues. As your FaceTime may not be working because some other person is having issues with their FaceTime app, which can be unknown to you or them as well. And you may keep asking yourself, “Why does my FaceTime keep failing?”.

Therefore, it is important to track down the troublemaker, if any. So, start a one-on-one video chat, then add other persons one at a time to see when the difficulties arise.

If you can’t connect to anyone on FaceTime, there must be a problem with your device or internet connection. If FaceTime isn’t functioning with one individual in particular, the issue is most likely at their end.

Check for FaceTime Availability in your Country

Is FaceTime free all around the world? Yes, however, it isn’t available everywhere. If long-distance FaceTime calls on your iPhone are not working, it may be because FaceTime isn’t available for the location in which the person resides.

In order to check this, you can visit Apple’s website to verify if FaceTime is accessible in your or the other person’s country. Look at Apple’s carrier support website to see if FaceTime is expected to operate with your phone carrier in your country.

If FaceTime isn’t accessible to you or the person whom you are trying to call, you might be able to circumvent these restrictions by utilizing an iPhone VPN.

Set your Device’s Date & Time to Automatic

Why do my FaceTime keep failing? Well, it is because of your device’s date and time settings.

Yes, your Date & Time settings provide an interesting solution to a common FaceTime halt or issue. Make sure that Date & Time Set Automatically is enabled on the device on which you are using this app.

In order to know how you can access this setting and change it, follow the instructions below:

iPhone/iPad:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

Tap on the General section inside Settings.

On the next page, tap on the Date & Time option.

Lastly, ensure that the Set Automatically toggle is turned on.

Mac:

Open System Preferences on your Mac.

Click on the Date & Time option in the System Preferences window.

Next, select the Set Date and Time Automatically option, and then select your time zone.

Note: To carry out these modifications, you may need to first click the padlock and input your administrator’s password.

Turn off Screen Time Restriction for FaceTime

On your device, if you are no longer able to access your FaceTime app or FaceTime is not working, you may have enabled Screen Time limitations. These settings are typically used to prevent young children from accessing particular functionalities on a device.

However, you need not worry. You can easily turn it off by following the steps below:

iPhone/iPad:

Go to Settings on your device.

Tap on the Screen Time section on the Settings page.

Then, select the Content & Privacy Restrictions option.

Next, go to the Allowed Apps section, and ensure that FaceTime as well as Camera, are enabled.

Mac:

Open System Preferences on your Mac.

Select the Screen Time option from the System Preferences window.

Then, click on the Content & Privacy option present in the left sidebar of the window.

Next, hop to the Apps tab, and select the check boxes for both, FaceTime and Camera.

Note: In both processes, you may be prompted to fill in your Screen Time Passcode to proceed, so do the needful. However, you need to keep in mind that this passcode is different from your standard passcode.

Enable Microphone and Camera in FaceTime

If others can’t see or hear you on FaceTime, and it is why you are bothered by the question “Why is my FaceTime not working?”, it is possible that you’ve turned off your camera or microphone for that particular conversation.

During a FaceTime call, tap the screen on your iPhone or iPad or hover your mouse over the FaceTime window on a Mac to expose more video chat controls. During the call, click the Camera and Microphone icons to toggle your camera or microphone on and off.

Test Camera & Microphone on your Device

The above solution didn’t help and you still can’t hear or your video is not visible on FaceTime? Then, there might be a problem with your device’s camera or microphones.

To check if this is the case, use the Camera app and capture a brief video of yourself speaking into the front-facing camera/

Check the video to see if there are any issues with the audio or video you captured. If there are, first try to get the reason behind the issue and learn how to resolve iPhone camera problems on your own.

However, if those suggestions don’t work, contact Apple Support to get your camera or microphone repaired.

Check if FaceTime is Down

What should you do if, after all these solutions, FaceTime still fails to connect? Is your ‘iPhone FaceTime not working’ issue related to the “FaceTime Not Connecting” error you get during a video chat?

If so, then your FaceTime may not be working because its services are temporarily down due to some server issues. Check Apple’s System Status page to ensure that the FaceTime servers are operational. If they aren’t, you’ll have to wait till they are up again and running.

Run an internet speed test on your network to confirm that the connection error is not due to slow internet, as FaceTime frequently encounters issues due to the same.

Further, you can check that all the devices on the FaceTime call are running the OS that is compatible with Group FaceTime, as mentioned previously in the article.

Enable Certain Ports in the Firewall

FaceTime will not operate on a Mac if your system’s firewall prevents the app from using essential ports that are required for making the connection.

Third-party firewalls that aren’t set up to function with FaceTime might cause this trouble. You can solve these difficulties either by deactivating your firewall permanently or by tweaking its settings to enable FaceTime to access certain ports.

Check with your Firewall’s customer support to learn how to unblock certain ports. Then visit Apple’s firewall help page to see which ports you must unblock for FaceTime.

Update Your Device

Of course, software upgrades include new features, but they also include bug fixes and app updates to address existing issues and prevalent problems. If FaceTime still isn’t working, isn’t connecting, or is having other problems, it might be due to a fault in the application that affects your device. An update may be all that’s required to solve this problem.

Here’s how you can update your device:

iPhone/iPad: